Hotline Offers Understanding, Compassion After Loss Of Pet
When a loved one dies, there are plenty of places to turn for support. But when that loved one is an animal, true understanding can be a little harder to find.
That’s the idea behind Washington State University’s new Pet Loss Support Hotline, staffed by veterinary students who have received special training in grief counseling and crisis intervention.
Students will serve as “compassionate listeners,” says Charlie Powell, spokesman for WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Callers with serious problems will be referred to mental health professionals.
Grief often begins before a life ends. Studies show about half of calls to similar hotlines around the country come before a sick animal actually dies, while owners are struggling with what to do.
As well as providing comfort for pet owners, the hotline will help students as well, says Powell. “Veterinarians in the private sector are telling us we need people who are more capable of dealing with the issue of grief when they come out of school,” he says.
The hotline, funded by grants from the Washington State Veterinary Medical Association and the Iams pet food company, is available at (509) 335-5704 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Long-distance calls are not toll-free; calls received after hours will be returned on a collect basis.
* In the swim: So you’d like to set up an aquarium, but you don’t want to hassle with hoses and filters?
Marineland’s Eclipse System Six is billed as “the first `plug-and-go’ designer aquarium.” All the necessary equipment is contained in the hood of the desk-top unit; you just add water and fish and plug it in.
It sells for $70-$80 at pet stores, including PetsMart and Petco.
* Take me home page: Finding a four-legged friend just got a little easier thanks to the Spokane Humane Society’s new Web site (www.spokanehumanesociety.org).
As well as photos and descriptions of selected animals available for adoption, the site, donated by Northwest Advantage Technologies of Spokane, includes a directory of services, calendar of events and links to other area shelters and rescue groups.
* Jolly good show: The world’s biggest canine competition, the Crufts Dog Show in Birmingham, England, will be broadcast for the first time in the United States this weekend. Same-day coverage airs Friday through Sunday from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Animal Planet (TCI Channel 54 in Spokane).