If you’re a pet person and have been owned by pets, you know that the inevitable is going to happen. Our pets come and go because their life spans are just different than ours. I know the pain and suffering of pet loss as we just lost our blue and gold macaw bird Kao the week before Thanksgiving. And, I’ve had several pug dogs and cats in my life.
I remember back to when I was a child and didn’t have a full understanding of what was going on in the process of my pets moving on. And, I wasn’t raised in an environment where we talked about or really dealt with our feelings when it came to someone’s passing – pet or human. So, this is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. As a pet person, I firmly believe that pets are a part of our family. And, when it’s time for them to make “The Final Pet Stop,” there is heartfelt grief.
With that, I’m making you aware of a fantastic resource for children (and those of us that are children at heart). It’s The Final Pet Stop (Patches The Dog) by James Martinez and Timothy T. Civick. These two are a fantastic team that have created Helping Tales Publishers to bring clarity and understanding to complicated pet situations for children. I love their work. And, I adore the illustrations. This book was created to help children (mainly) deal with the unavoidable truth of that final pet stop. At some point in time, you are likely to need this book yourself or know someone that will.
Here is the description from Amazon: “This book is for anyone who has ever loved and lost a pet. The Final Pet Stop explores the question: “Is there a place that all pets go on that final day?” Follow along with Patches the dog and his friends in this heartfelt and lyrical tale as they give us a glimpse into the wonderful place known as “The Final Pet Stop.” The book is beautifully illustrated and has a sure way of reaching children going through a time of grief.”
