Every pet deserves a good death. Every person deserves choice around how they say goodbye.

In this presentation, palliative care veterinarian and Founder of Cherished Pets, Dr Alicia Kennedy, will explore the impact of poverty on end of pet life and bereavement.

This presentation is designed to raise awareness, offer solutions and to expand thinking and opportunities for practitioners in this space.

As a practicing veterinarian offering a social service, Dr Alicia witnesses daily poverty and pet loss. Through the Cherished Pets signature model, every pet and person is honoured with the right to plan for the death of a pet according to their values and wishes, with compassionate support offered through the process and protection of animal welfare ensured.

We will explore poverty and pet loss, and discuss some of the specific considerations that need to be acknowledged for this community sector.

We will share a series of case profiles and highlight the touch points where poverty defines the story experienced by vulnerable people when facing pet loss.

These touch points are as follows:

• The moment when the realization that pet loss is inevitable is reached,
• Navigating decisions around end of pet life care, options and management,
• Access to hospice and palliative care,
• The moment of pet loss and how this can look,
• Considerations and options for aftercare,
• Coping with pet loss and bereavement.

We will explore the influence that poverty has on the human animal bond throughout the end of pet life experience, for both pet and person.

We will explore vulnerability as it manifests around pet loss, how poverty influences this stage, and how we can create compassionate and inclusive solutions to relieve pain and suffering for pet and person through this time. We will highlight the role of community-centred, collaborative responses to support the pets of people experiencing poverty so that the human animal bond can be brought to a compassionate and kind close, ensuring accessibility for all people, including those experiencing poverty, so that they can access the same support as other general members of the community.

Learning Objectives:

Raise awareness of the unique ways that poverty impacts the human animal bond through pet loss.

Develop understanding of the touch points where poverty and pet loss expose vulnerability and the opportunity to provide accessible and inclusive care.