Caring for Our Animals at the End of Life
With Death Doula Erin Merelli & Doctor Veterinarian Medicine Jess McAfee
May 10, 2025 - 1-5pm PST - On Zoom
The death of our beloved pets is inevitable, as their lives are shorter than our own. For many children, the loss of a pet is their first encounter with death—offering parents a meaningful opportunity to guide them toward a healthy understanding of grief. For others, the loss of an animal companion cuts far deeper than society often acknowledges. And for death doulas, supporting families through pet loss can be a natural and compassionate extension of this work.
Join Veterinarian Jess McAfee and Death Doula Erin Merelli for a four-hour class exploring the essential aspects of caring for animals in their final days.
Guest Teacher Dr. Jess McAfee
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the differenceWe are honored to have guest teacher Dr. Jess McAfee, a veterinarian specializing in end-of-life care for animals, join in the teaching of this course. Jess earned their Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from UC Davis in 2010 and later became certified in Hospice and Palliative Care through the International Association of Animal Hospice and Palliative Care. In 2016, they founded Peaceful Pet Transitions, an in-home hospice and euthanasia practice serving the Seattle and Tacoma areas. A dedicated lifelong learner, Jess is also a graduate of Death School and is expanding their expertise into human death doula work, with a particular interest in MAID services, yoga, and meditation facilitation.
To get to know more about your teacher and their journey into this specialized field, please read in in their own words.
In this class, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of:
🐾 How to support pets—physically and emotionally—as they approach death
🐾 The ethics of euthanasia and how to support both pets and their families through the process
🐾 Guiding children through pet loss with compassion and care
🐾 Communicating with veterinarians as a family member or as a doula
🐾 The depth of grief that can accompany pet loss and how to honor it
🐾 Burial, cremation, and memorial options for pets
🐾 Creating meaningful ceremonies to honor our animal companions
Whether you're a pet owner, a parent, or a death doula looking to extend your care to animals and their families, this class will provide the insight and tools needed to navigate this tender time with grace and compassion.
Registration Information
📅 Date: May 10, 2025
📍 Location: Online
Class investment: $199, pay-in-4 options at checkout.
Class Overview:
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From the Vet’s Perspective: Recognizing signs of decline, managing pain, involving the vet
From the Death Doula’s Perspective: Navigating anticipatory grief, making euthanasia decisions, planning ahead, talking to children
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From the Vet’s Perspective: Natural death, euthanasia process, accidental death
From the Death Doula’s Perspective: Doula support during death, communicating with the vet, helping families in the moment of loss
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From the Vet’s Perspective: After-death care options (burial, cremation, memorials)
From the Death Doula’s Perspective: Grief support, memorializing the pet, creating meaningful ceremonies, addressing grief
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How the vet and doula roles collaborate
Q&A