Honoring the Sacred Love - Finding Peace During Our Dog’s End-of-Life Journey

It was just another one of thousands of photos I’d taken of Leo over the years.

He was a bit over 15.5 years old at the time.

When I looked at the picture on the computer it hit me like a ton of bricks: he was getting old.

In my eyes, he always remained the sweet pup with the teddy bear face and lots of character, and for the first time I looked at Leo and I saw an old dog.

There was no denying the cruel truth that it wouldn’t be too much longer before he’d cross the bridge.

I’d been dreading that moment for years.

Always worried about how I’d tell when it was time.

I didn’t want to “give up on him” too early, and I certainly didn’t want him to suffer just because I couldn’t let go.

Turns out, I had another 13 months with Leo from the day that picture was taken.

And there was no doubt about when it was time.

The moment came two days after my parents had gotten here from Germany .. as if he’d waited for them to arrive.

My parents were with me when Leo came into my life, and they were with me when he left.

It’s the only time I’ve ever seen my dad cry.

In case you’re wondering, yes, I’ve got tears running down my face as I’m writing this.

The days after went by in a haze.

It was intense.

Intensely painful AND beautiful in a way.

There’d be lots of tears - every time I got out three food bowls instead of two, every time I looked at a photo, and a million other moments. And there was a lot of laughter - every time we remembered how he’d steal food off the table without anyone noticing, how he loved chewing on shoes, how he’d do anything if he saw a good reason (and nothing if he didn’t).

Pain, gratitude, sadness, love .. all thrown into a big melting pot and stirred up relentlessly.

To be honest, at the time I had no idea that there are people who offer support in those raw and emotional moments.

This week’s Pawsome Human is one of them ..

This week’s Pawsome Human: Hana Mäkinen - End and After

Hana and I met during Miranda Wimbush’s recent The Empowered Dog Lover summit. I loved her talk and knew immediately that I wanted her as a guest for the Soul Touched by Dogs podcast.

She is an animal communicator specializing in end-of-life care for pets, and we had a heartfelt conversation about navigating the emotional journey of saying goodbye to our beloved animal companions.

Hana shares her personal experiences and insights into finding peace and self-compassion during the end-of-life journey, and how animals can bring us comfort and healing during the grieving process.

We discussed the importance of acknowledging and releasing guilt, allowing ourselves to fully feel our emotions, and finding new beginnings amidst the pain of loss.

Tune in to this episode to discover how to honor the sacred love and find peace during the difficult yet transformative transition of pet loss.

Gift yourself a time-out and listen in (it’s not a sad episode, I promise :-) https://share.descript.com/view/CGOmkH7XJO1

Find out more about Hana and get in touch with her: http://www.instagram.com/endandaftermedium/

Or her website:

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Ready to get YOUR Soul Touched by Dogs mug?

How about a mug with a picture of YOUR dog, for your morning coffee or as a gift, using the proceeds to sponsor dogs in need and help the people who help dogs?

If you’d like one, hit reply and let me know. Orders in time for Christmas need to be placed by Dec 10th at the very latest.

Send me a good-quality photo of your dog and I’ll create the design and send you a link where you can purchase it.

They get made to order so it takes 10-12 days to arrive. €15 + shipping.

(Shipping depends on where you are of course but will be somewhere around €5-12. I’ll check for you before I go and create the design, so there won’t be any surprises)

Get your Soul Touched by Dogs t-shirt

The moment I had the idea for the mugs, I knew I also wanted t-shirts 😝 and I’m super happy with mine 🐾🐾😊😊

If you want, you can get yours here https://mavericks.tpopsite.com/product/t-shirt-woman-soul-touched-by-dogs-dark-blue (they come in a few different colours)

If it doesn’t come in your size, let me know. I do work with another supplier so we can find an option that works for you.

Just like with the mugs, the proceeds are going to dogs in need.

Panic to Peace - Holistic Approaches to Easing Anxiety in Rescue Dogs .. coming up in February 2024

I’m inviting experts in the areas of dog behaviour, nutrition, health, wellbeing - with a holistic, connection-based approach - for a virtual conference to share their wisdom to help us help our rescue dogs.

Starting next week, I’ll share more about the topics we’ll cover.

If you could get your most pressing question answered, what would you ask?

And as always ..

If you know another Soul Touched by Dogs, please send them to https://soultouchedbydogs.com 🙏🙏🐾🐾

Until next week,

Anke