In the News: Tails of Marin
By Sheri Cardo
When the end draws near
Putting an unrestrained dog in the back of a truck risks not only your life, but others’ lives as well. What if you have to make a sudden stop or drive over a bump or pothole? Your dog could be thrown from the vehicle or could just as easily jump out, and other drivers attempting to swerve to avoid hitting your dog could be injured or worse.
California law does not allow animals to be transported without some way of preventing them from being thrown, falling or jumping from the vehicle (Vehicle Code 23117 Animal Restraints). The best way to keep your dog contained is to put your dog inside your vehicle rather than in the back of the truck. If Fido must travel in the back of an open truck bed, then securing a crate to the vehicle is best. Tethering is a legal option, but is still unsafe since your dog could become tangled, dragged or even hanged if not done properly. Lack of shade, a hot truck bed and flying debris are also hazards for a tethered dog. Often, the best solution might be to just leave your dog at home.
If you do travel with Fido inside your vehicle, make sure not to leave him in it when it is parked on warm days. Even on the mildest of days with the windows cracked, a car’s interior can reach extreme temperatures causing brain damage and even death within minutes.
It is our responsibility to protect our dogs from harm. It’s the least we can do for them after all they do for us.
Marin County is fortunate to have a unique resource for pet guardians and their dying animals: BitterSweet, Animal Hospice and Grief Recovery, is a non-profit organization that provides information and support to help people make the best decisions for themselves and their pets at the end of their animals’ lives — and to help them heal from their grief.
Founded by grief recovery specialist Lou Leet, BitterSweet offers education, in-home hospice care and loss support. “We help people understand what to expect during the natural dying process, we talk with them about the nature of pain and pain control, and we also discuss euthanasia,” says Lou.
It’s important to keep in mind that providing end stage hospice care for a pet is not for everyone. It is a very demanding process: Family members are investing themselves emotionally and financially in meeting their animal’s needs, not just waiting for their pet to die a natural death.
BitterSweet volunteers offer in-home consulting, caregiving assistance and phone consultations to help people manage the practical aspects of caring for their animal. “Surprisingly, the in-home visits are not the biggest demand,” says Lou. “It’s amazing what a 20–30 minute phone call can do.”
During the average phone call or visit, a volunteer talks with the pet guardian about the animal’s situation and provides suggestions for managing the animal’s care in the home. Incontinence is a frequent issue and there are simple solutions for dealing with it in most cases. They also talk about recognizing and managing pain, and what the family’s feelings are about euthanasia. And, very importantly, the volunteers help people to identify the questions they need to ask their vet.
Lou explains that this is a very emotional period for people and most veterinarians don’t have the extra time to deal with both the pets’ complex medical issues and the guardians’ emotions. “We try to support both the people and the vets by absorbing some of the time that the people are in tears, and then helping them to focus on the questions they need to get answers to when they’re with their vet,” she says.
Lou recommends that people whose pets are dying try to let their feelings keep moving. “Don’t block them,” she says. “Fear is what is so hard to deal with and it pushes people away from their pets. You need to be with your animal in full force. Don’t go do the dishes instead of sitting with your pet. Try to stay in the moment and have the experience.”
To help people who anticipate or are dealing with the loss of a pet, BitterSweet offers a grief support night the first Tuesday of each month from 7–8:30 p.m. at Marin Link at the Northgate Mall in San Rafael. They also offer workshops about preparing for loss, grief recovery, adults assisting grieving children, and a new workshop for veterinary staff and animal care professionals entitled, “How to Deliver Difficult News,” that provides simple, compassionate care tips for working with clients. For information about all of BitterSweet’s services, please call (415) 760-9462 or visit www.bitsweet.org.
Animal Loss & Healing Workshop
Conducted by Bittersweet, this workshop will center around the nature of grief, address the feelings you may experience, and provide methods of coping and of dealing respectfully with others who many not understand the depth of your loss. The creation of memorials to pets will also be discussed.
Saturday, June 30
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
At the Marin Humane Society
171 Bel Marin Keys Blvd., Novato
$75
Call 506-6288 for more information and to register
Sheri Cardo is the director of public relations at the Marin Humane Society.
