What is Mourning Paws?
Mourning Paws is a support service offering resources for anyone experiencing grief around pet loss and pet care. Our resources are for pet-owners and the veterinary profession.
Our vision is that those grieving pet loss or pain associated with pet care will have resources as valuable and prevalent as those experiencing loss of human relationships.
Our mission is to provide awareness and tools for grieving pet lovers that provide intentional acknowledgement, support and encouragement through their journey.
Why Mourning Paws?
The founder (Dr. Kiefer) is no stranger to grief. She has been witness to many pet owners experiencing overwhelming grief, and felt helpless to offer comfort or help, given the resources available to the veterinary profession. When she experienced a painful loss of some beloved humans, she found very helpful resources for navigating that grief. Not long after, she experienced the loss of her beloved dog of 16 years, Shaqeyt, and sought similar resources. She could not find resources that were specific to pet loss anywhere close to the help she found with losing the humans in her life.
In desperation, she took the tools she used for grieving humans and applied them to losing Shaqeyt but found they didn’t address many aspects of the pain associated with losing a pet. This grief was just as profound, but so misunderstood by others. As she struggled to navigate this grief, she hurt deeply for everyone else experiencing this pain. Through this pain, she decided if the helpful tools didn’t exist, she could honor Shaqeyt, her clients and their pets best by creating them. Because of the complexity of grief associated with pet loss, and the lack of resources in existence, she sought guidance and support from a member of the licensed social worker profession that has focused on working with the veterinary profession and pet owners. This partnership became Mourning Paws.
Who is Mourning Paws?
Dr. Kiefer is a small animal veterinarian with a passion and focus in surgery, sports medicine and rehabilitation and emergency medicine. She created VetSSMART, LLC, a support service for the well-being and professional improvement of the veterinary profession. She created the foundational courses offered through Mourning Paws as a means to support the veterinary profession and pet owners. She has shared love with many personal pets in her career, but the one whose loss brought the most painful grief is Shaqeyt: a marvelous Siberian husky who was an adventure partner, best friend, emotional and spiritual supporter, and patient and loving soul. She strongly believes that your paths are crossing with hers because of the love Shaqeyt has shared with her.
Francesca is a licensed social worker that has dedicate her work to supporting members of the veterinary profession and pet lovers. She knows first hand the depth and importance of the love of a pet brings to life through her Spinone Italiano dog, Lio, and her playful house cat, Napoleon.
Laurie comes to Mourning Paws having worked as a veterinary technician and hospital manager for many years. Prior to her move to Costa Rica in 2014, she worked in the veterinary clinic at the national headquarters of Canine Companions for Independence (CCI). It was at CCI, where a greater understanding of the true meaning of altruism and the human animal bond awoke a need to give back in a different way. After much exploration, this led her to Costa Rica and working/Volunteering with Vida Volunteer Travel (Vida). Participating in the creation of the International Veterinary Training Center at Vida as well as traveling in Costa Rica and Nicaragua on service-learning trips in the capacity as Veterinary Intake has been life changing. The service learning trips travel to underserved communities. She will tell you that no matter where she has traveled too, “The animal human bond is the same no matter what circumstances one has in life. My heart is full of gratitude for the opportunities that have come my way”.
Laurie currently shares her life with her Mastiff Mati. Mati came into her life just when she needed her the most after the passing of her Labrador Hooper in 2021. Laurie says that Hooper was “Labradorable ”and the best boy! Mati brings her so much joy and just makes her laugh every single day!
Laurie connected with Mourning Paws following her loss of Hooper and her connection to Dr. Kiefer via shared VIDA trips. Having experienced the value and need for Mourning Paws resources personally, she felt a desire to work with others that experienced a loss of human animal bond and were seeking support. She has completed advanced training in Animal Hospice and Palliative Care and became our Participant Support Leader in 2023.
