In a Bond-Centered Practice the death of a pet is recognized as a potentially traumatic event for the pet’s family. Careful attention is paid to how the entire practice handles the death, and how each team member provides support to clients who are grieving. This presentation focuses on the specific ways veterinary professionals can help before, during, and after the death of a pet. Students learn about normal and complicated grief, how to facilitate a sensitive family-present euthanasia, and several basic para-professional grief interventions that ensure positive grief outcomes for clients.

*The term Bond-Centered Practice was created by Laurel Lagoni, Carolyn Butler and Suzanne Hetts and was outlined in their text The Human-Animal Bond and Grief (W.B. Saunders, 1994). It has been further developed by the Argus Institute staff at Colorado State University.