Our final gift
We can prepare for so many of life’s meaningful moments…including those with our pets
NAN MARSHALL
We plan weddings, celebrate birthdays and gather to welcome new babies into the world. We instinctively understand that life’s biggest milestones deserve care, intention, and presence. Yet one of the most meaningful moments we will ever share with the animals we love is often the one we never prepare for.
Not because we don’t love them enough. Because we fear the conversation.
Over the years, the relationship with animals has changed. They are no longer simply pets. They are woven into our families, our routines and our stories. They greet us after difficult days, celebrate life’s happiest moments and offer a kind of unconditional love that quietly changes who we are. Yet while our relationship with animals has evolved, our conversations about saying goodbye haven’t always evolved with it.
Through her work providing in-home end-of-life veterinary care, Dr. Natasha Russell has supported countless families through one of life’s hardest decisions. As an end-of-life pet doula, I have the privilege of walking alongside families from a different perspective, creating space for reflection, meaningful conversations, and thoughtful planning before goodbye arrives. Although our roles are different, we’ve witnessed the same thing time and time again. Families rarely wish they had loved their animals more. They wish they had felt more prepared.
What if planning ahead wasn’t about expecting the worst? What if it was about offering one final gift?
Not a perfect goodbye, because those don’t exist, but an intentional one.
One shaped by love instead of panic. By presence instead of fear. By thoughtful choices instead of rushed decisions.
Every family will have a different vision of what that looks like. For some it may mean creating a peaceful space at home. For others, it may be gathering loved ones, sharing stores, or simply understanding the options before a crisis forces difficult decisions.
There is no right way to say goodbye. But there is value in giving ourselves permission to think about it before we have to.
Rather than preparing for death, we’re preparing for one final opportunity to love with intention.
That belief inspired “The heart of their story“, a free community workshop where we’ll explore the extraordinary bond we share with the animals we love, talk openly about end-of-life planning, and discover how intention can transform fear into understanding. Our hope isn’t to take grief away, but to help families feel more informed, more supported, and more confident that, when the time comes, they can honour a lifetime of love with the same care they gave every day before it.
Perhaps one of the greatest gifts we can give the animals who have given us so much… is one final gift of intention.
THE HEART OF THEIR STORY
A free 5-part community workshop series with Dr. Natasha Russell, DVM & End-of-Life Pet Doula Nan Marshall
COMING SOON: Session #2: The Shape of Grief-Understanding Loss
September 3, 2026, 6:30 - 7:30 pm
Alberta Avenue Community Centre
9210 - 118 Avenue
To register, contact:
Nan Marshall
780-667-0670
thesanctuaryeold@gmail.com