Reflections on grief, the aftercare process, and the small rituals that help — written with care for pet owners and the clinics who walk beside them.
A missing dog is one of the most common panics in New Zealand pet groups. Here's the NZ version: who to ring, what the council is legally required to do, and the seven-day clock most owners don't know is running.
Searching, off their food, suddenly clingy or suddenly in charge — what surviving pets actually do after a death in the house, what we know and don't know about it, and what helps
The hardest part is often not the day itself — it's the weeks before it, watching and deciding. What anticipatory grief does to people, and how to get through it without losing the time you have left
Some losses come with casseroles and time off. Pet loss usually comes with 'are you getting another one?' Here's what disenfranchised grief is, why it makes pet loss harder, and what to do about it.
Most people arrive at pet loss expecting five tidy stages and get something else entirely. Here is what grief after a pet dies usually does instead — and what that means for the weeks ahead." meta_description: "Pet grief is not five stages in order. A plain guide to what grief af
the evidence backed ways that a comfort room helps your client and your team
Deciding is one of the hardest things a pet owner faces. This short, private checklist won't decide for you — but it can help you see things a little more clearly, and give you something concrete to talk through with your vet. Rate each area from 0 (struggling) to 10 (doing well)
explores the burgeoning field of canine longevity science, focusing on how researchers are identifying biological markers to detect aging before physical symptoms appear
CliniCareBag, a specialized line of medical-grade body bags designed specifically for veterinary clinics in Australia and New Zealand. These leak-proof vessels offer a professional alternative to standard plastic liners
https://www.petaftercare.co.nz/pre-arrival-for-clinics
What separates a home-euth visit from a clinic visit is the person. QoLly is designed not to get in the way of that. Sign-up at https://qolly.co.nz today
Some great new updates for our partner vet clinics to make the pet owner experience even better
our own show on Apple podcasts
Open any NZ pet cremation website and you'll find the same word. Here's why it isn't on ours — and what we put in its place.
Three named cremation options, one clear decision. A plain-English NZ guide to choosing between Essential Care, Heritage Return and Signature Private — and what's actually different between them.
End-of-life care is some of the most rewarding work in NZ vet practice — and some of the most quietly draining. Here are five practical ways for clinic owners and team leads to protect their people.
A clear NZ guide to scattering your pet's ashes at sea — what the law actually says, the cultural considerations many overseas guides miss, and how to do it respectfully wherever you choose.
Part 2 of our regrets guide — the decisions made on the day and in the weeks after, and how NZ vet clinics and aftercare services can help families avoid them.
If you're sitting with the question 'is it time?' — these are the ten regrets we hear most often from NZ families afterwards, and the small choices made in advance that prevent them. Part 1 of 2.
Most pet grief is heavy but moves over time. Some doesn't. This is a plain-language explainer of prolonged grief disorder — what it is, how it differs from depression and PTSD, and where to find NZ support.
If pet grief is still as sharp at six and twelve months as it was the first week, you may be carrying more than expected grief. Here are the signs of prolonged grief disorder, and the support pathway in New Zealand.
Grief in a New Zealand summer doesn't look like the snowy, fireside grief of the books we grew up reading. Here's a gentle guide to the BBQs, baches, beaches and Matariki nights — and how to carry your pet through them.
Pet cremation in New Zealand can look different depending on your vet, your region and what you want for your pet. Here's a clear step-by-step guide for working out your options without having to make decisions on the worst day.
Eight quiet, beautiful ways to honour a beloved pet — from native-tree memorials and paw print lockets to letters, rituals and the small things that hold a memory.
For many Kiwi children, losing a pet is their first real experience of death. This is a practical, age-banded guide to helping them through it — at home and in the consult room.
Receptionists are the first voice a grieving family hears and the last person they see before they leave. Here's a practical guide for NZ vet teams on how to support them — and the families they care for — through every euthanasia appointment.
A curated, NZ-specific guide to grief support after pet loss — helplines, communities, books, apps and rituals — gathered in one place so you don't have to search for them on the worst day.