I was being lazy on the couch this afternoon and stumbled upon an HBO documentary called One Nation Under Dog: Stories of Fear, Loss and Betrayal. This film deeply affected me; in fact, I have spent the last few hours crying and thinking about my own childhood dog, Cookie.
 | Dogs are a special type of animal - they love you without question and support you, regardless of whether you are at your best or your worst. It is easy to hear about the loss of a pet and wonder why the owner is grieving so profoundly. As school counselors, we must be sensitive to our students' and their families' needs. Grief over a pet can affect a student at school just as much, if not more, than the loss of a human being. In some cases, students are able to connect with their pet in a way they cannot or have not with anyone else. |
This is the reason I want to incorporate a therapy dog into my school counseling practice. Of course, I need to wait until I get a house with a yard, but I have been planning this in my head for a while. Having a trained dog at my school could motivate students (imagine earning time to walk, feed, or play with the dog) and provide an even more calming office environment. Of course, I need to talk with other school counselors about how they dealt with students or staff with a fear of dogs, especially if a student had been attacked by an animal in the past. Any thoughts?
| Finally, I wanted to share one of my favorite books about the death of a pet. I Remember is a story about a little boy and his dog, Jake. When Jake dies, the boy must find a way to cope with the loss without feeling guilty and worried about forgetting Jake. Also, for the appropriate situation, Dog Heaven and Cat Heaven are two additional books that you may find helpful. |  |
 | For the pet owners out there, give your "babies" a big hug for me! I'll do the same, but I can't promise my cats will enjoy it. They can be a little moody, haha. ;) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Do you have a great pet story? Have you ever run a small group that focused on dealing with the loss of a pet? If so, comment below! |
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