Emotional support for pet owners part of new U of S program

Making decisions about medical care for an ailing animal is difficult and the death of a beloved pet can be heartbreaking.

Now a unique program is being developed to provide support to people going through such emotional situations.

Erin Wasson is helping to develop a veterinary social work program, the first of its kind in Canada. It's a collaboration involving the faculty of social work at the University of Regina and the veterinary college at the University of Saskatchewan.

Wasson said the program will provide information to support large and small animal clinics where veterinarians are deeply involved in health care and end-of-life decisions for animals.

She has been working on the program as part of her studies and the project resonated with her, due to her own recent experience.

"It was brought home for me when I lost a horse of mine I had had since I was nine years old," Wasson said, talking about her horse Nicker. "He was a 31-year-old quarter horse and just a beautiful boy."

Wasson is preparing the program at the veterinary college where she is supporting clients who are there to get care for animals.

The college provides a range of services to animal owners. Often, pets are in very bad condition with not much hope for recovery.

"It's a really distressing time," Wasson said and she helps people facing difficult situations.

She also helps veterinarians so they identify the emotional state of clients and are sensitive.

Wasson also provides guidance to veterinarians who face stress every day as they treat sick animals.

She said she believes attitudes about grieving for animals are changing.

"I encourage people, when they are going through the grief process, to seek out the people around them that understand the importance of that relationship," she said. "I would say it can be just as deep as any other loss that you'd experience in your life."

Wasson said research has shown that the loss of a pet, for many, is similar to the death of a child.

"We need to reflect on it," she said. "[It's] one of the deeper losses that people may experience in their lifetime."