BrightHaven: Pioneer & Leader in the Emerging Field of Animal Hospice
Hospice became a way of life at BrightHaven as we have cared for hundreds of senior and special-needs animals since 1990. In doing so, we have learned so much about love and the circle of life from our animal loved ones. We focus on achieving a state of wellness, joy or balance whether for continued life or for transition. At BrightHaven we concentrate on helping the “being” to be the best they can possibly be, regardless of age, illness, or type of being – human or animal!
Our hospice care is very much aligned with hospice care for humans where love, comfort, dignity and quality of life are of the highest importance, and the spiritual aspect of the journey is highly honored. We strongly encourage anyone interested in learning about animal hospice to first read more on many available websites on the subject of death and dying including the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and the Hospice Foundation of America (HFA).
BrightHaven provides leadership in the development and application of animal hospice and its philosophy of care. We are dedicated to improving the care and support of animals with a serious or end-of-life illness. We foster respect and awareness for animals as sentient beings and promote an understanding of death as a natural part of life.
For BrightHaven’s definition of animal hospice, please visit https://www.brighthaven.org/what-is-animal-hospice/.
Our animal hospice education, based on holistic healthcare and following the wisdom of the animals through over 600 hospice-supported deaths, includes a wide range of interesting topics:
- BrightHaven Menu for Healing
- Online Learning
- Our Animal Hospice Philosophy
- Animal Hospice Certificate
- Pain & Palliative Care
- On Suffering & Will to Live
- Quality of Life for Living & Dying
- Quality of Dying Checklist
- On Natural Dying and Euthanasia
- The Grieving Process
- After the Passing
- Animal Stories, including In Memoriam
Death is not the extinguishing of the light… It is the putting out of the lamp because the dawn has come. ~Rabindranath Tagore
BrightHaven Resources to Help Your Animal Live Well Each and Every Day!
(Photo by in joy photography)
- Do you have questions about how BrightHaven’s holistic healing or animal hospice care approaches can help your animal? Book a consultation with Gail by sending an email to consultations@brighthaven.org
- GAIL’S LATEST BOOK! Follow Your Heart: Navigating a Terminal Diagnosis – helps you walk this often-challenging path with a deeper sense of peace, confidence and clarity.
- The BrightHaven Guide to Animal Hospice – learn how to care for your animal companions in their Golden Years and through the end of life (Author: Gail Pope)
- Disponibile in italiano su Amazon: http://amzn.to/2f8cTcl
- Soar My Butterfly: The Animal Dying Experience – a simple guide to the signs and symptoms you may encounter during the final stages of the natural dying process (Author: Gail Pope)
(Photo by Beth Shields)
- The BrightHaven Guide to Animal Hospice Online Series – BrightHaven Co-Founders Gail and Richard Pope share what they’ve learned since 1990 about holistic healing, living well and dying well by following the wisdom of the animals.
- Walking with My Dog Through (End of) Life – an intimate look at a profound life passage, from terminal diagnosis through hospice care and natural death. (Author: Carol Howe Hulse, BrightHaven Education Program Specialist)
Other Resources:
- Animal Reiki Source – Kathleen Prasad, Animal Reiki leader, author & teacher
- BK Books – Barbara Karnes, end-of-life educator and award winning nurse (books, ebooks and DVDs on human hospice care)
- International Association of Animal Hospice and Palliative Care – premier industry organization
- Spirits in Transition – Ella Bittel, Holistic Veterinarian
- Phone: (805) 598-6496 (urgent animal hospice calls are answered as quickly as possible)
- The Nikki Hospice Foundation for Pets – Dr. Kathryn Marocchino
- Phone: (707) 557-8595 (call if urgently seeking hospice care)