Latest
Clinic Resources·Clinic Staff
Designing a comfort room for your veterinary practice
the evidence backed ways that a comfort room helps your client and your team
19 August 20266 min readRay Bachert
Stories & Guidance
A quiet place to read,
remember, and learn.
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.
More stories
Owner Grief·Pet Owners
Not sure if it's time? Try our quality of life assessment
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)
30 July 20261 min read
Owner Grief·Pet Owners
Rethinking Senior Years: How Science is Helping Our Dogs Live Longer, Healthier Lives
explores the burgeoning field of canine longevity science, focusing on how researchers are identifying biological markers to detect aging before physical symptoms appear
30 July 20263 min read
Owner Grief·Pet Owners
Clinicare bags not garbage bags for your pet
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
7 July 20263 min read
Clinic Resources·Clinic Staff
Our new pre-arrival tool for clinics reduces stress on the day
https://www.petaftercare.co.nz/pre-arrival-for-clinics
6 July 20261 min read
Clinic Resources·Vets
How PetAftercare and QoLly Work Together
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
9 June 20262 min read
Clinic Resources·Clinic Staff
PetAftercare iOS and Google app Version 2 are now available
Some great new updates for our partner vet clinics to make the pet owner experience even better
28 May 20261 min read
Clinic Resources·Clinic Staff
PetAftercare shorts now on Apple podcasts
our own show on Apple podcasts
26 May 20261 min read
Aftercare Process·Everyone
Why we don't use the word 'compassionate' — and what we do instead
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.
14 May 20264 min read
Owner Grief·Pet Owners
After saying goodbye: 10 common regrets and how NZ vets help you avoid them (Part 2)
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.
6 May 20266 min read
Memorial Ideas·Pet Owners
Can you scatter your pet's ashes at sea in New Zealand? The law and the kaitiaki view
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.
6 May 20266 min read
Clinic Resources·Clinic Staff
Front desk to farewell: how NZ vet receptionists shape the euthanasia experience
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.
6 May 20265 min read
Aftercare Process·Pet Owners
Shared, private or signature: choosing pet cremation in New Zealand
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.
6 May 20266 min read
Clinic Resources·Clinic Staff
5 ways NZ vet teams can protect wellbeing through end-of-life work
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.
6 May 20266 min read
Pet Loss Support·Pet Owners
Pet loss support in Aotearoa: a New Zealand resource guide
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.
6 May 20265 min read
Owner Grief·Pet Owners
Helping tamariki grieve a pet: an NZ guide for parents and vet teams
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.
6 May 20265 min read
Memorial Ideas·Pet Owners
8 meaningful ways to honour a pet — featuring NZ artisan keepsakes
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.
6 May 20265 min read
Aftercare Process·Pet Owners
How to find pet cremation in New Zealand: a step-by-step guide
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.
6 May 20265 min read
Owner Grief·Pet Owners
Grieving a pet through a Kiwi summer: surviving Christmas, the holidays and Matariki
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.
6 May 20265 min read
Pet Loss Support·Pet Owners
When pet grief doesn't lift: signs of prolonged grief disorder (an NZ guide)
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.
6 May 20265 min read
Pet Loss Support·Pet Owners
Pet grief vs prolonged grief disorder: what NZ owners need to know
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.
6 May 20265 min read
Owner Grief·Pet Owners
Before you say goodbye: 10 common regrets and how to avoid them (NZ Part 1)
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.
6 May 20267 min read