CLIENT SERVICES
Empathy for Others & Support for Yourself
The Role of Veterinary Professionals in Pet Grief
By Erika Sinner
with contributions from Dr. Katie Lawlor
V

eterinarians are often the frontline support for pet parents during their most vulnerable moments. The decision to humanely euthanize a pet is heartbreaking, and the emotional toll can be overwhelming. Vets who provide not only medical expertise, but also empathetic support play an invaluable role in helping pet parents make informed and compassionate decisions. However, this responsibility and role of veterinary professionals cannot be underestimated.

Daily exposure to the grief of pet parents and the weight of end-of-life decisions can lead to compassion fatigue, burnout and several additional mental health challenges. This dual burden underscores the importance of having supportive structures in place, both for pet parents and for the vets who care for their pets.

VETERINARY MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT PROGRAM
In the fall of 2020, a beloved rescue dog by the name of Mia was tragically hit by a car, and later succumbed to her injuries. Mia’s Veterinarian, Dr. Kathy Gervais, encouraged her guardian, Emily Scott, to reach out to Dr. Katie Lawlor, a Doctor of Clinical Psychology who specializes in grief and loss.

During their initial conversation, it was brought to Emily’s attention that veterinarians can suffer from high rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation, given the often traumatic and heartbreaking nature of their work. Dr. Gervais confirmed these statistics, adding her own personal experiences as well as the struggles and loss of colleagues.

Together these three women immediately resolved to do something about this crisis, and it was from this collaboration that the Veterinary Mental Health Support (VMHS) program1 was founded. They hope to honor Mia’s legacy through their heartfelt work and dedication to the veterinary medicine community.

This free and confidential program addresses the mental health challenges faced by veterinary professionals, aiming to create a supportive network for those in the field. Veterinarians and their colleagues often deal with the cumulative distress of their patients’ health and their guardians’ responses. This program provides resources by doctorate-level clinicians—including support groups, individual sessions and skills-based workshops—and a community for professionals to share their experiences, find understanding and camaraderie, and learn gold-standard, evidence-based strategies to manage their mental wellbeing.

By recognizing the cognitive, emotional and behavioral demands placed on these professionals, VMHS aims to foster a culture of empathy and care within the veterinary community. It emphasizes the importance of mental health awareness while validating and normalizing asking for help, just as their patients—four-legged and two-legged—do.

Develop support networks within the clinic or hospital where staff feel encouraged to share their experiences and show up for each other.
MANAGING GRIEF IN EVERYDAY PRACTICE
For veterinary professionals, managing grief is an integral part of their practice. Here are a few strategies that can help:

  1. Communication: Encourage honest, open and vulnerable conversations with pet guardians about the end-of-life process and the emotional challenges it entails. Fostering a safe space for both of you to express your feelings can help mitigate their grief.
  2. Support Networks: Develop support networks within the clinic or hospital where staff feel encouraged to share their experiences and show up for each other. Peer support can be incredibly effective in aiding the emotional toll of the role.
  3. Continuing Education: Participate in workshops and training sessions focused on grief management and mental health. Staying informed about evidence-based practices can equip veterinary professionals with the tools they need to process grief more effectively in the context of their job.
  4. Self-Care: Prioritize mental and physical wellbeing. Regularly engage in activities that promote stress relief and fulfillment, and seek professional help from a licensed clinician if needed. Taking care of one’s health is crucial to providing the optimal care for patients and clients.
  5. For Clients and Pet Guardians: For your clients and pet guardians, there is support available that you can refer them to so you don’t have to bear the burden alone. Resources include national support hotlines, virtual support groups, books, grieving cards and more.
SUPPORTING PET PARENTS
Expecting pet parents to soldier on after losing a pet is not only unrealistic, but it also doesn’t support wellbeing. Yet, many pet parents will face situations at home and at work that do not honor or acknowledge their pain when losing a pet. Vets can play a valuable role in normalizing pet grief for those closest to the event of losing a pet.

Veterinarians can help people prepare for their loss and the reality that many people might not understand what they are going through. They can help them anticipate these inner conflicts and prepare to handle these common situations as more and more people embrace the full emotional spectrum of emotionally committed pet ownership; and they can remind pet parents that, despite the pain, they will get through this crisis and emerge stronger.

I hope that vets embrace their role in supporting pet parents and normalize pet grief at home, in the workplace and in the veterinary sector to help people get the support they need when losing beloved pets.

References:
  1. Veterinary Mental Health Support. https://nomv.org/peer-support/
Erika Sinner
Erika Sinner, CEO of Directorie, CEO of TinySuperheroes, and author of the book Pets are Family, is a transformative leader and global advocate for workplace empathy. Her background, rooted in humble beginnings and marked by hard work, instilled in her the grit and tenacity that propelled her to entrepreneurial success.
Dr. Katie Lawlor
Dr. Katie Lawlor received her doctorate from the joint program between the Stanford University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology. She trained at both the Stanford University Medical Center and the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, focusing on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), neuropsychology, and human-animal interactions (HAI).