PET LOSS SERVICES
 

WORKSHOPS

For those who reside locally in California’s Bay Area, workshops are available at the corporate headquarters of The NHFP every Saturday, year-round, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, for anyone grieving the loss of a cherished pet. There is no cost for the workshops, but donations to The NHFP are most welcome, to help defray the cost of books, handouts and pet memorial candles. In order to ensure that there are materials for everyone, participants are urged to sign up in advance. For more information, please call The NHFP at (707) 557-8595 and/or leave a message.

The first of their kind in Solano County, the workshops (“Waiting at the Rainbow Bridge”:  How to Cope with the Loss of Your Pet) are the result of a unique partnership between The NHFP and the Benicia-Vallejo Humane Society, which makes referrals alongside local veterinarians. The sessions are particularly helpful for those who have difficulty talking about their feelings with family, friends or co-workers or for those whose pet was a “last link” with a beloved spouse or other family member. Participants are given the opportunity to share their memories with others who are grieving in an uplifting, heart-warming journey that will help them work through the mourning process and allow them to “begin anew,” even as they honor their pet’s personal story.

The workshops are conducted by Dr. Kathryn D. Marocchino, President and Founder of The NHFP, whose professional education and training in grief and loss can be viewed in detail by clicking on her name on the “Board of Directors” webpage, which can be accessed by clicking on “The Nikki Hospice Foundation for Pets” on The NHFP home page and scrolling downward.
 

DUE TO DR. MAROCCHINO'S CURRENT WORKLOAD, THESE WORKSHOPS ARE BEING PLACED ON HOLD UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR PET LOSS SUPPORT, PLEASE CALL THE HELPLINE LISTED BELOW.

PET LOSS SUPPORT HELPLINE

The NHFP also provides a nationwide pet loss support helpline, which can be reached by calling (707) 557-8595. Through this service, Dr. Marocchino offers personalized grief counseling sessions and is generally always available, unless traveling to conferences. Callers are invited to leave a brief message if no one answers and carefully articulate their name and call-back number, especially if using a cell phone or when emotionally distressed, so that messages do not become garbled or unintelligible. Calls will be returned as soon as possible, usually within 72 hours.  


 

TRAINING PROGRAMS

For professionals, Dr. Marocchino offers specialized training programs in grief and loss for veterinarians, veterinary technicians and assistants, and other staff members of animal health care facilities, by tailoring sessions to meet the specific needs of a clinic or practice. Training programs can range from two hours to a full day and make ideal on-site and in-service presentations for those in the field of veterinary medicine who deal with death and dying, bereavement or traumatic loss on an almost daily basis. They are available both locally and nationwide and are designed to provide participants with the necessary skills and strategies they will need in order to help bereaved pet parents cope with varying losses. The training centers on innovative and personalized techniques that allow participants to become highly involved in their own learning.

These programs can help improve standards of performance in any or all of the following areas:  dealing with the aftermath of pet loss, conducting appropriate grief crisis intervention for clients who have suffered an acute loss or multiple losses, providing compassionate death notification for clients who lose a pet suddenly during a hospital or boarding stay, understanding the mourning process and how it relates to both people and pets, preventing compassion fatigue, managing stress in the workplace, and developing individualized “healing” techniques in order to adequately care for themselves even as they continue to care for others. Training programs and presentations can be requested at any time of the year and for any number of participants. Group rates are also available, and informational brochures will be mailed upon request.