Me, the Pet Professional Guild, and My Village People

Mar 2, 2020 | Education, Pet Guardians

By Coleen Ellis

Attendees at PPG’s Pet Loss and Grief Companioning Certification Course last month, with author and workshop conductor Coleen Ellis (10th left) and PPG president Niki Tudge (4th right) © Pet Professional Guild

I’m just coming off an amazing weekend with yet another Pet Loss and Grief Companioning Certification class under my belt! Not unlike any of the other classes, the attendees are all about animals! Just like every other class, it’s a fabulous few days spent with my tribe! And, I know they felt the same way.

However, this class was a bit different, and I was honored to have even been invited to be with this group of professionals and a part of their mission. An invitation by Niki Tudge with the Pet Professional Guild came my way about eight months ago, and I didn’t even give it a second thought on saying a resounding yes when she asked if I could bring this teaching to her training facility in Wesley Chapel, Florida. I said “yes,” and then months later investigated what I had gotten myself into! This class would be much different than any other I’d taught, as it would be largely comprised of dog trainers. However, still dog lovers, caretakers, and professionals who operated with a mission of honoring the human-animal bond in their respective areas of expertise with this HUGELY important aspect of loving a pet. After all, any pet lover knows the benefits of having a well-behaved animal with manners! There’s nothing better!

As the session began this past Saturday, something became clear to me very quickly. These professionals, which ranged from trainers, shelter workers, animal care control team members, a husband and wife team providing prayer blankets for pets, veterinarians and pet sitters, gave with all their heart in their love for animals. The stories, always so powerful from every aspect of service represented in the room. The shelter worker… what he shared [about what] he dealt with and saw, my heart broke. The animal care and control young lady… I had to put a layer of protection in knowing what she dealt with daily. The trainers, in sharing the love they had for the roles to the heartbreak of their job when they just couldn’t “fix” a mentally broken animal. Argh. My heart. My shattered heart.

The two days spent together were so deep, so fulfilling, so rewarding, and an event where I know I will forever be connected to these folks in the work we all do. I want to make sure they know I send them strength and peace in ALL the work they do! The importance of this aspect in being a part of “the village people” (I crack myself up!) who together helps a loving pet parent share in a most beautiful life with a precious love!

As I was prepping to write this blog, I came across this priceless article today on the internet. So spot on, and I thought it was just the information to share with all of you, MY Village People!

My Village People, here’s to you, and for the work we all do in being a light to those needing it in their time of darkness.

To learn more about this important topic, don’t miss the upcoming PPG webinars:
The Finer Points of Marketing Pet Loss Services – Wednesday, March 11, 2020 at Noon. Register here.
How to Conduct a Successful Pet Loss Support Group – Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at Noon. Register here.

Resources
Squires, T. (2020). Learning to cope with grief after losing a beloved furry “family member.” Available at: https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/home/pets/learning-to-cope-with-grief-after-losing-a-beloved-furry-family-member/news-story/711aa9874851f63e19c618ad9d725a16

About the Author
Coleen Ellis founded Two Hearts Pet Loss Center in 2009, to guide people who wish to provide meaningful pet death care services in their communities, as well to be an educational resource in the pet grief discipline. That year, she received the first Death and Grief Studies Certification specializing in Pet Loss Companioning by Dr. Alan Wolfelt as well as releasing her first book, Pet Parents: A Journey Through Unconditional Love and Grief. She is also Certified in Thanatology and is a Certified Pet Loss Professional.

By 2014, she joined Nick Padlo as managing partner and chief marketing officer to form an acquisition company whose mission is to standardize and raise the service levels of the pet loss industry. The Pet Loss Center strives to be the nation’s premier pet loss service, elevating the experiential component of pet loss and grief care across the country. In 2019, she shifted her position with The Pet Loss Center to an advisory/consultant role.

She is also the founder and past co-chair of the Pet Loss Professionals Alliance and past president of the International Association of Animal Hospice and Palliative Care, where she currently serves as an advisor. She is a native of Kansas where she graduated from Fort Hays State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing. She currently sits on the Board of Trustees for Fort Hays State University, and is a recipient of the 2018 Alumni Achievement Award, the college’s highest recognition for graduates.