Our Mission

Founded by Ryane E. Englar, DVM, DABVP (Canine and Feline Practice) and her colleagues, Putting Yourself in Their Paws is the first of its kind. Developed by a veterinarian for veterinarians, this line of bereavement cards reimagines how we support grieving clients.

Sympathy versus Empathy

Many veterinary practices send sympathy cards to clients who have recently experienced loss. Sympathy is exclusively about feeling sorry that loss happened. It acknowledges loss but falls short of connection. It keeps us at arm’s length and from taking on the feelings of those who are hurting most.

Those who are grieving often feel isolated, alone, and misunderstood. What veterinary clients often want and need from us at those most challenging moments is the feeling that someone else can relate to them. Connecting to others is made possible through empathy.

Empathy is “feeling with” instead of “feeling for”. It is about us trying to relate to another’s emotion, through their perspective rather than our own. Empathy is about tuning into what someone else is going through, and validating what they are experiencing.

Our Empathy Cards provide a tangible way for you and your team to reach out and connect to grieving clients, and to companion them through loss.

The Uniqueness of Grief

Each grief journey is unique. This journey is defined by who and what (e.g., time, connection, purpose) has been lost.

Grief is a process. It is the mind, body, and heart coming to terms with the reality that absence of a loved one is permanent.

Grief is predictably unpredictable.

Grief is not a race. The finish line of acceptance comes only after hard work is put in— and even then, the ultimate goal is never to “get over” grief. Grief may ebb and flow for days, weeks, months, or years. It may also return unexpectedly, years later, when a client recalls the loved one’s name or a memory that links them to each other, and is instantly transported in time to what once was.

In these moments, it is not that grief is pulling our clients backward. They are remembering. And in remembering, our clients experience grief, at times, all over again.

Never Just a Dog, Never Just a Cat

The mourners that we encounter as veterinary teams are often told to “move on” by society because who they lost was “just” a dog or “just” a cat. Just. As if being just a dog or just a cat negates the human-animal bond as a powerful connector.

The reality is that pet loss is loss period, and grieving over a beloved pet is still grief.

As veterinarians, we cannot lessen the loss that follows the death of a client’s loved one.

What we can do is honor clients where they are in their respective grief journeys, and to remember their loved one by name.

Reaching out to clients is an essential part of relationship-centered care, particularly in veterinary practice.

Let us help you and your team to stay connected during this transitional time in the veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR)

Beyond Veterinary Medicine

Veterinary practices are not the only healthcare teams that navigate transitions between life and death. Human medical providers may also develop longstanding professional relationships with patients and their families and play a significant role in navigating end-of-life decision-making, particularly those invested in the delivery of palliative and/or hospice care. Our broader goal is to serve all healthcare professionals and community members, families, friends, and neighbors, by providing essential resources that can extend support to the bereaved. The loss of any loved one is impactful and survivors benefit from support after loss. Empathy cards from our collection have been designed to extend reach to a diverse population of mourners who may be experiencing loss in a variety of ways.

Let us help you find the words to reconnect with mourners during their time of need.