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Thoughtful Advice, Heartfelt Guidance, And Caring Support To Help You

Explore our newest blog posts filled with touching stories, expert insights, and helpful tips to support you through the emotional journey of caring for, saying goodbye to, and remembering your beloved pet. Each entry is written with compassion and empathy to guide you every step of the way.

Richard Pope: Honoring the Life of a Truly Remarkable Man

By Carol Howe Hulse | September 14, 2023
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How Does Mother Nature’s Healing Power Help Us Live Fully?    

By Carol Howe Hulse | May 22, 2023
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Have you ever wondered how all beings are instinctively drawn to Mother Nature’s awesome healing and nurturing power? I’ve learned that her slower pace and regenerative properties effortlessly help us feel more whole, peaceful, calm and clear, and bring us back to the present moment and a sense of aliveness and possibility. Perhaps that’s one…

What Have Animals Taught Us About Life-Affirming Love & Relationships?

By Carol Howe Hulse | February 21, 2023
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Through our work and play with animals for over 30 years at BrightHaven, we learned that love is such an essential, transformative and powerful healing energy, it became the guiding force of our work, directing our choices and our interactions with animals and people. And the unconditional love that animals naturally share provides us with a…

How Forgiveness Can Help You to Live Well Each & Every Day!

By Carol Howe Hulse | September 28, 2022
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Animals can teach us a lot about releasing the past and moving forward after experiencing challenging and hurtful situations. We would be anthropomorphizing (attributing human behavior and characteristics) if we concluded that they forgave. Instead, their apparent resilience may spring from their natural inclination to live in the present moment and in alignment with Source,…

Lessons from Our Animals: What Are 3 Uplifting Opportunities of Grief?

By Carol Howe Hulse | May 31, 2022
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The word “opportunity” may not come to mind when you’re emotionally reeling from the loss of a loved one. But as with most of the events we face in life – even the painful, heartbreaking ones – grieving holds many possibilities to deepen our capacity to grow and to love. Life-changing lessons are often found…

Celebrate the Tremendous Healing Power of Love Each & Every Day!

By Carol Howe Hulse | February 10, 2022
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At BrightHaven, love has always been a guiding force behind everything we do, guiding our choices and our interactions with animals and people. The BrightHaven Menu for Healing, which forms the foundation of our work, is also known as the “Love Sandwich” as it begins and ends with love. The profound effects of love in…

What Can Promote Healing in Your Animals & You?

By Carol Howe Hulse | September 29, 2021
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2 Lessons Animals Taught Me About Growing Older Gracefully & Fearlessly

By Carol Howe Hulse | July 8, 2021
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How Can You Join Other Animal Lovers & Give Better Animal Hospice Care?

By Carol Howe Hulse | June 9, 2021
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2 Ways Helpful BrightHaven Caregiver Resources Are Better Than Ever!

By Carol Howe Hulse | May 6, 2021
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BrightHaven’s goal is to help you help your animals live well each and every day! Founded in 1990 by Gail and Richard Pope, BrightHaven is a renowned animal rescue, hospice education and holistic education nonprofit organization. Our primary focus: senior, disabled and chronically ill animals, a vulnerable population that has an overwhelming need to find…

What unfailingly helps you to live well & fully each day?

By Carol Howe Hulse | February 23, 2021
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The answer: LOVE!!! And as always, February has been the perfect month to celebrate love, with St. Valentine’s Day occurring on the 14th. At BrightHaven we celebrate and honor love in everything we do, every day of the year – its healing power is tremendous! For example, our Menu for Healing, which forms the foundation…

How Do I Navigate a Terminal Diagnosis for My Loved One?

By Carol Howe Hulse | December 10, 2020
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As all of us animal lovers know, being told by the vet that our beloved’s illness is terminal is one of the most difficult things to hear. What do I do now? How can I best support my animal friend? What is the best way forward for our family? These are just a few of…

Can Suffering Really Be a Matter of Choice?

By Carol Howe Hulse | October 1, 2020
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When we have an elderly or ill furry family member, or our beloved animal has received a terminal diagnosis, pain, suffering, will to live and quality of life for living and dying become important considerations. A Helpful Definition of Suffering Pain and suffering are often lumped together, as if they’re synonymous. However, that may not…

A Beautiful Tribute to Rico, One Amazing Cat

By Carol Howe Hulse | July 23, 2020
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We are honored to share the loving tribute to Rico written by longtime BrightHaven friend and supporter, Dr. Kathryn Marocchino of The Nikki Hospice Foundation for Pets. Along with BrightHaven’s Gail Pope and Dr. Ella Bittel of Spirits in Transition, Kathryn co-created the Quality of Dying Checklist, which assesses quality of life as the hospice journey progresses…

The End of a BrightHaven Era: Fray

By Carol Howe Hulse | June 11, 2020
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BrightHaven President and Founder Gail Pope shares her heartfelt tribute to Fray:   “Somewhere around the beginning of 2003 we welcomed a new volunteer to the BrightHaven fold, Fray Huffman. After 17 years of devoted and unwavering service to the animals to whom she dedicated her life, I find it still hard to believe that…

Support and Guidance for Pet Caregivers

BrightHaven shares educational resources and compassionate guidance
to help pet families care for aging or seriously ill animals.