Saying Goodbye at home allows us to peacefully mourn the loss of our dear friends in a place where the family is most comfortable.

Perhaps we choose their favorite bed in the corner of the kitchen or that one spot in the back yard under their special tree. Wherever we choose, our goal is to create a safe place where love is the focus and everything else disappears….pain, suffering, guilt, anxiety, ….

Recently, we said goodbye to a long-term friend. She had been a second chance rescue dog and had lived a long and happy life with her Mom and miniature pinscher sister.

As she laid in her bed with her Mom stroking her head, her sister who is normally scared of her own shadow, came and curled up on her Mom’s lap. She remained there – observing, comforting, processing – and after her big sister had died, she leaned over to lick her sister’s nose and lick my hand. LOVE was in clear focus and it was all that mattered at that moment.

Grief will undoubtedly follow – tears will flow, hearts will break and heal and they might break again, and old toys, bowls, and blankets will trigger a smile or a tear – and that’s OK. Grief is a healthy journey to acknowledge love that has been lost and this journey starts at home during the euthanasia and continues into the days, months, and years to come.

Most people prefer not to share raw emotional grief in a public setting, so honoring that loving relationship in the safe privacy of your home allows the family, both human and animal members, to mourn honestly.

The old saying ‘Home is where the Heart is’ highlights the idea that Love starts at Home.

It seems most fitting that we lovingly say goodbye at Home. Love is the Focus.