The Art of Goodbye

My Journey

Had anyone told me ten years ago that I would be at the helm of a movement transforming the way veterinarians and families accompany animals in their final moments, I would not have believed it. But that is precisely where I find myself today—at the head of an initiative redefining veterinary palliative care.”

I am Emily, founder of The Art of Goodbye, and my journey has not been straightforward. It began in 2018, when I had the opportunity to help launch one of Canada’s first veterinary centers dedicated to hospice and palliative care. This experience changed my life.
Not only did I have the privilege of serving as the Assistant Medical Director but In 2021, I became one of the first RVTs in Canada to offer in-home end-of-life care under the indirect supervision of a Veterinarian. This was an important turning point for me and for the thousands of families I have supported through their grief. It was during this time that I began to realize there was a missing component in veterinary medicine: a dedicated hospice care program. After asking dozens of veterinary teams across North America why they did not have this type of program, they nearly all said that the DVMs were already too busy and no one on the team had dedicated palliative and hospice training. This is when I decided that if teams around the world are to implement dedicated hospice care programs they should be led by trained Registered Veterinary Technicians.

A Call to Action
It soon became evident to me that, despite the expertise of veterinarians, many veterinary teams struggled to provide appropriate end-of-life care. Their workloads were too heavy, and specialized training was virtually nonexistent. So, I decided to create something that would make a real difference. A training program designed to empower RVTs to develop and lead dedicated hospice programs in their clinic.

In my opinion, most veterinary professionals don’t realize that according to a study from AAHA, around 50% of feline patients and 45% of canine patients do not see their veterinary team during the last 18 months of their lives. This figure is alarming and reflects a significant gap in support during those crucial moments when animals need specialized care.This gap is exactly what The Art of Goodbye seeks to bridge.

Why RVTs Should Lead the Charge
When I talk about this program, I often encounter questioning looks. Why RVTs, and not veterinarians themselves? The answer is simple: RVTs, trained specifically in palliative and hospice care, are best positioned to lead these programs. They have the time and dedicated training to provide the ongoing support and attention that hospice patients and their family needs. This bridges the current gap that exists reducing patient suffering, increasing client satisfaction along with clinic revenue. This collaborative approach allows the veterinarian oversee each patient’s care while still being able to focus on hospitalized or surgical patients, with the RVTs, managing the day-to-day comfort of the patient and assisting the family with navigating challenges that arise.

The success of this model hinges on the understanding that high-quality palliative care is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but a collective effort. When the RVT takes the lead, everyone benefits—the patients, the families, and even the clinic. Clinics can significantly increase their revenue while improving their services. It’s a clear win-win-win!

A Moment of Clarity
One moment that will stay with me forever occurred early in my career. I received a call from a woman whose 12-year-old boxer was suffering from severe heart failure and respiratory distress. She had contacted her regular clinic, but they informed her that the veterinarian was fully booked and unable to assist. Desperate for help, she reached out to the emergency clinic, only to be told that there would be a 4-hour wait. Her dog was suffocating from fluid in her lungs, and she was torn between letting her beloved pet pass in the car outside the emergency hospital or at home. That’s when she called me.

At that moment, I realized the true importance of having trained RVTs able to provide end-of-life care. I listened to her cry, shared her helplessness, and supported her as best I could over the phone. I could do nothing but offer words of comfort as she endured the unbearable pain of watching her dog struggle.

This experience was a turning point for me. I vowed to find a way to bring about change so that situations like this would never happen again. If the clinic had trained RVTs to provide euthanasia under direct supervision, they could have helped her right away. Instead, the only end-of-life care providers were DVMs, and all of us—her, her pet, and myself—suffered as a result. The helplessness I felt in that moment, and the pain of the family, will never leave me.

Stories that Stay
What has struck me most in this work are the stories of the families. Each goodbye is unique, but the common thread is always the profound sense of gratitude. Once, a family wrote me a letter after we helped their cat pass peacefully at home. They told me that their last euthanasia experience was traumatic as their cat was afraid at the vet clinic and was restrained and muzzled in her final moments. They shared with me what a difference the compassionate care that I provided made. They were grateful that I took the time and the steps to ensure it was a peaceful experience for everyone including their beloved cat. Feedback like this gives me the motivation to continue making this program a standard in every veterinary clinic.

The Future of Veterinary Palliative and Hospice Care
Today, I am proud to see The Art of Goodbyegrow, but this is only the beginning. My vision is that every veterinary clinic will have a dedicated palliative and hospice care program, led by trained RVTs. We have the opportunity to transform how the world views end-of-life care for animals, ensuring they receive the attention and respect they deserve during the toughest time in their life. It is not merely about alleviating physical pain; it is also about providing the education, tools and resources the family needs to identify chronic pain and monitor their pets quality of life. It’s also about supporting the emotional well-being of the families and empowering them to make informed decisions about end-of-life care.

The greatest challenge remains awareness and dedicated training.
I have seen firsthand how a rigorous training program can transform hospice and end-of-life care management in a clinic. It goes beyond technical assistance; it’s about providing RVTs with the opportunity to lead a program that doesn’t currently exist while maintaining the highest standards of clinical care. We still have a long way to go, but every clinic and every trained RVT brings us one step closer to that goal.

The Gift of Saying Goodbye
Hospice and end-of-life care is not a service; it is a gift we offer to our patients and their families. I am deeply convinced that every animal deserves to have their final days filled with comfort and dignity and to be able to pass in peace, surrounded by love and compassion. That is why I remain so committed to this mission. Because in the end, palliative care is not just about relieving pain—it is about honouring the bond the family has shared with their beloved pet. For every goodbye, there is a new chance to make that moment softer, and more respectful of the patient and families emotional wellbeing.

Today, my mission is clear: to ensure that every terminally ill patient and their family receives dedicated hospice care and dignified, family centred management. Because, at its core, this is not just about easing pain; it’s about recognizing the importance of comfort when there is no cure and providing judgement free education and support to families. This is where I find my true calling.