Animal Soulmates
In today’s society, animals are so much more than simply “pets”. Many consider their animal to be their very best friend, their constant companion, helping them navigate the world when life gets tough. Animals are now members of the family, who have birthday parties, argyle sweaters, and a stocking with their name embroidered, which is hung by the fireplace during the holidays. In some cases, animals may even be considered soulmates. And while the deep connection between people and animals is undeniable, the immense grief associated with losing a furry best friend, a feathered family member, or an animal soulmate is rarely discussed.
Dr. Abbie Viscardi, an animal welfare scientist, had an animal soulmate. She came in the form of a black lab named Amira. When Dr. Abbie lost her beloved dog after 13.5 years together, she was broken, and found minimal institutional and social support for pet parents suffering such a profound loss. Why is losing an animal soulmate viewed so differently from losing a human soulmate? Why are people not able to grieve the loss of a pet the way they are able to grieve the loss of a family member? How do other pet parents feel about their animals and can these stories bring awareness to the impact animals have on people, in life and in death?
In this podcast, Dr. Abbie chats with scientists, veterinarians, and fellow pet parents, to honour the stories of their animal soulmates and to uncover the true power of the human-animal bond!
Episodes
22 episodes
A Wolfdog named Mo & A Mustang named Mikko
In this episode, I chat with Emma, an animal lover and entrepreneur. She shares her life with horses, pigs, goats, chickens, dogs, and many other animals on her beautiful hobby farm. Emma also founded Mikko’s Choice, a CBD product line for anim...
Ep 20: A Licensed Mental Health Counselor Offering Pet Grief and Loss Support
In this episode, I chat with Anne Marie Farage-Smith, a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) and author of Healing Wisdom for Pet Loss: An Animal Lover’s Guide to Grief. Anne Marie discusses the basics of grief, inc...
Ep 19: An Australian Shepherd named McGrady
In this episode, I chat with Sheley Revis, a general internist and founder of the Fabulous McGrady and Friends Foundation, about the dog who changed her life and would later become the namesake of her organization. McGrady, a deaf, tri-colou...
Ep 18: A Service Dog named Max
In this episode, I chat with Allen Frye about his service dog Max. Max, a gorgeous German Shepherd, was trained by Allen to assist with his mobility after he experienced a serious spinal cord injury in 2018. We hear about Allen’s accident, h...
Ep 17: A Doberman named Reckon
In this episode, I continue my chat with Shannon Kiley, a professional dog trainer, who discussed her experience in search and rescue work with her dogs in Ep 16. This week, Shannon shares Reckon’s story. Reckon, a black and tan Doberman, ca...
Ep 16: Search and Rescue Dogs with Shannon Kiley
In this episode, I chat with Shannon Kiley, a professional dog trainer who was involved in search and rescue work with her dogs for 18 years. Her incredible Dobermans Soleil, Dagger, Never, and Savor, were specialized in human remains detect...
Ep 15: A Pittie mix named Romeo
In this very special bonus episode, I am joined by my significant other, Brandon Reid, and we share the story of Romeo. Romeo, the absolute sweetest pittie boy, was the first dog we ever adopted together. While his time with us was short due...
Ep 14: Loving our Reactive Dogs with Krystal Hise
In this bonus episode, I chat again with Krystal Hise, a pet portrait artist and our guest featured in Ep 11, about reactivity in dogs. We talk about what this behaviour looks like in Frank and Freya and share our experiences working t...
Ep 13: Puppy Mills with Dr. Karen Fine
In this bonus episode, I chat again with Dr. Karen Fine, a holistic veterinarian and our guest featured in Ep 10, about the issues with puppy mills and how you can avoid them. We talk about some red flags to look out for and how to make sure...
Ep 12: A Police K9 named Radar
In this episode, I chat with Eamon O’Reilly, a Sergeant at the Washington County Oregon Sheriff’s Office, about his K9 partner Radar. Radar, a very handsome 9-year old malinois, has been working with Sgt O’Reilly in patrol and specializes in...
Ep 11: A Lab mix named Freya
In this episode, I chat with Krystal Hise about the love of her life, Freya. Freya is a beautiful, water-obsessed lab mix, who loves a good sniff-walk. Recently, she went through a cancer diagnosis, which required major surgery and six round...
Ep 10: A Husky mix named Rana
In this episode, I chat with Dr. Karen Fine, a holistic veterinarian and author of The Other Family Doctor: A Veterinarian Explores What Animals Can Teach Us About Love, Life, And Mortality. We hear the story of Rana (...
Ep 9: A Pig Rescuer in Kansas City, Part 2
In this episode, I continue my chat with Kayli Houk, the current President and co-founder of the Kansas City Pig Rescue Network. We hear about some of the challenges associated with pig rescue and how this work has impacted Kayli’s view of h...
Ep 8: A Pig Rescuer in Kansas City, Part 1
In this episode, I chat with the current President and co-founder of the Kansas City Pig Rescue Network (KCPRN): Kayli Houk. Through the KCPRN, Kayli and her team have rescued and rehabilitated more than 500 pigs since 2017, many of which ha...
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Ep 7: An Author of a Book on Loving and Losing Pets with E.B. Bartels
In this episode, I chat with E.B. Bartels, a nonfiction writer and author of Good Grief: On Loving Pets Here and Hereafter. Growing up, E.B. had animals of all shapes and sizes, from fish to birds to two Cairn terriers...
Ep 6: A Veterinarian Specializing in End-Of-Life Care with Dr. Kathleen Cooney
In this episode, I chat with Dr. Kathleen Cooney, a veterinarian who specializes in euthanasia and end-of-life care of our beloved pets. As a clinician, researcher, and educator, Dr. Cooney is passionate about “all things old and grey”. She ...
Ep 5: A Kintamani dog named Stevie Wonder
In this episode, I continue my chat with Prue Barber from Episode 4, and we hear the story of Stevie Wonder. Stevie was a gorgeous Kintamani dog who had a rough life on the streets of Bali; having lost one eye and suffering from a chronic in...
Ep 4: An Animal Rescuer in Bali
In this episode, I chat with Prue Barber, an Australian who has dedicated her life to helping the animals in Bali, Indonesia. We talk about her journey from a successful career in graphic design in Melbourne to starting Mission Paws’ible in ...
Ep 3: A Scientist Studying Human-Canine and Human-Equine Interactions with Dr. Leanne Nieforth
In this episode, I chat with Dr. Leanne Nieforth, a scientist who studies human-animal interactions in the context of animal-assisted interventions. Dr. Nieforth is putting the science behind what we feel when we interact with an animal. Spe...
Ep 2: A Pit Bull named Kona
In this episode, we hear the story of Kona. Kona, a sweet pit bull, had a taste for adventure! She loved to spend her days running on the beach and paddleboarding with her Mom, Kristen Murray. We learn that “love at first sight” can exist be...
Ep 1: A Pug named Dexter
In this episode, we hear the story of Dexter. Dexter, an adorable pug, charmed his way through veterinary school and was loved by everyone he met. The deep bond he shared with his Mom, Dr. Eduarda Bortoluzzi, continues to this day and is a p...
