Pet Loss, Love & Healing: Honoring the Bond
Losing a beloved animal companion can be one of the most profound and misunderstood experiences of grief. Pet Loss, Love & Healing: Honoring the Bond is a thoughtful panel discussion for anyone navigating the loss of a pet, supporting someone who is grieving, or seeking to better understand the deep human-animal bond. Together, we will explore why pet grief matters, how our culture often minimizes or avoids grief, and why the loss of a pet can feel especially isolating.
This session will offer space to reflect on the emotional, physical, and cognitive effects of grief, including “grief brain” and the ways loss can live in the body. We will also touch on the difference between grieving and mourning, gentle ways to care for yourself, and meaningful rituals to honor a pet’s life, such as deciding what to do with belongings, ashes, or cremains.
Our Moderator and Panelists include:
Kate Titus, Canine Mobility Specialist, is a speaker, educator, author, and founder committed to helping dogs move with comfort and independence. A Certified Canine Fitness Trainer and massage therapist, Kate launched A Loyal Companion in 2008 and later opened Arizona’s first canine fitness and swim facility. She’s also a dedicated nonprofit leader, serving on the board of Friends of PACC and chairperson of the Friends of PACC Clinic board.
Jennifer Titley-Rubio, MSW, LCSW, Certified Grief Counselor, supports individuals experiencing death loss, traumatic loss, anticipatory grief, disenfranchised grief, and animal loss. Her work is grounded in companioning the bereaved with compassion, presence, and solace. She became a Board Member of Transitions in Loss and Grief to provide more education to the public about grief.
Dr. Kellie Barrett is the compassionate founder of Kindred Spirits Pet Services, a pioneering end-of-life care practice for pets based in Tucson, Arizona. She has dedicated her career to providing gentle, respectful care for animals in their final moments. She is a Certified Peaceful Euthanasia Veterinarian through CAETA and holds multiple certifications in Low Stress Handling, the Human-Animal Bond, and Pet Loss & Grief Support.
Paula Rivadeneira, PhD, is the Founder and Owner of Cholla Afterlife Aquamation for Pets, the only eco-friendly water cremation service for pets in southern Arizona. She is also the Founder and Executive Director of Old Souls Animal Rescue and Retirement Home, a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to saving geriatric, special needs, and hospice animals of all kinds.
In-person and online seats are available.
The seminar is free, but donations to Old Souls Animal Rescue and Retirement Home are appreciated.
Event Links
Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/3790736-0
Website: https://go.evvnt.com/3790736-2
