Furry Friends in Times of Loss

Furry Friends in Times of Loss

How your support provided comfort to grieving students.

The start of a new school year is typically a time full of excitement. There are new school clothes, new teachers, new lessons to be learned, and the feeling of starting fresh. However, for the 6th grade Enrichment class at Crestline Elementary, the start of the school year was not so easy.

Over the Summer, one of their classmates tragically lost her life in a car accident. The students missed their friend, and what should have been a joyful experience was clouded by their loss. To help get through this challenging time, their 6th grade teacher, Katie Meyerpeter, held a gathering with the students to celebrate her life. Therapy Team Jen and Partner, who make monthly visits with the students, were invited to be a source of comfort.

I can’t imagine having gone through this day of remembering our classmate without Jen and Partner,” says Katie. “When my students became emotional, Partner was right there to offer a cuddle and a shoulder (or back) to cry on. It was amazing to see the comfort he provided as they processed their emotions. By the end of class, they were all giggling at Partner in his pharaoh costume. In fact, we have decided to make him our mascot for our ancient Egyptian unit. I think it is perfect since the Egyptians thought so highly of their pets.

Thanks to you, Jen and Partner were able to be a source of comfort for students after the loss of their classmate!

You made this healing moment possible! Because of your generous support, Jen and Partner were able to help students grieve the loss of their friend. Jen notes the impact you made, "Partner was a friend to lean on as they honored her life. Some tears were shed (including mine) but they smiled in the end."

These visits are the heart of our Trauma and Grief program, which provides a calming and nonjudgmental space to express emotions. While no one hopes this program has to be used very often, your donations ensure that our teams are trained and ready to help in times of loss and despair.

This program was also recently utilized at Chealsea High School, after a student sadly took her own life. Four Therapy Teams came to visit the classmates, including Tracy and Ryder. “Ryder and I and the other Therapy Teams visited Chelsea High School for a grief visit and were amazed to see the sweet student’s smiles when they petted and hugged our teams. Pet therapy is an invaluable part of relieving stress during these difficult times!,” says Tracy.

Thank you to our donors and volunteers for providing a bright light to people going through times of darkness!

Support Hand in Paw’s Trauma and Grief program by donating online at handinpaw.org/donate