“Those who do not know how to weep with their whole heart don’t know how to laugh either” …Golda Meir
“Dog’s lives are short, too short, but you know that going in.  You know the pain is coming, you’re going to lose a dog, and there’s going to be great anguish, so you live fully in the moment with her, never fail to share her joy or delight in her innocence, because you can’t support the illusion that  a dog can be your lifelong companion.  There’s such beauty in the hard honesty of that, in accepting and giving love while always aware it comes with an unbearable price.  Maybe loving dogs is a way we do penance for all the other illusions we allow ourselves and for the mistakes we make because of all those illusions.” …Dean Koontz
Grief is not only experienced with the death of a loved one, but is also experienced in the events that lead up to the death, including the actual illness itself.   The Animal Cancer & Imaging Center is a bond-centered practice that focuses on the strength and importance of the human-animal bond.  When that bond becomes fragile or broken through illness or death, a whole host of manifestations of loss and grief can be overwhelming.  As my mentor Dr. Steve Withrow (Colorado State University) wrote, veterinarians are not and should not consider themselves qualified psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers or grief counselors.  My hope is to provide general information and give references for resources that can help you through the illness or death of a beloved pet.  This website should not be used as a sole resource for grief recovery.   Our doctors and staff care about what you are going through and are always here to help in any way we can.
 I was very fortunate to have done my oncology residency training at Colorado State University where a major focus of the oncology practice was with the human-animal bond.   My training at CSU gave me the foundation upon which I have practiced oncology and much of the information referenced in this section of our website is from Colorado State University’s Argus Institute for Families and Veterinary Medicine and the Changes program.   I was extremely lucky to have worked with the founding members of this program at it’s inception.  Always remember, you’re not in this alone.
                                                                                                                                                                                Dr. Joyce Obradovich