Bolton, a volunteer for the nonprofit People Animals Love, takes his Australian shepherd, Arby, to the hospital to visit the sick. Bolton also works the pet loss comfort line, a phone number those distressed by the death of a pet can call to receive help. Bolton, a D.C. resident, works in Fairfax County as a school psychologist. How did you get involved in People Animals Love?
A friend encouraged me. She thought that Arby would be a good pet therapy dog because she’s so fluffy and friendly. Once I got involved with the pet visiting program, they found out that I was a mental health professional, and they asked if I would volunteer with the comfort line.
How many people call the comfort line?
Not that many. To me, getting two or three a month is a lot.
What kind of pets do people call about?
I get mostly dogs, occasionally cats. I’ve never gotten anything more exotic than that. That probably says more about dog owners.
What are people who have lost pets most sad about?
They’re just basically grieving the loss of a close friend. Grief in human loss is not that different from grief with a pet, really. I try to reassure the caller that their grief and their sadness is a normal part of the loss. I try to be a good listener. I may try to get them to tell me funny stories about their pet, to illustrate the companionship between the owner and the animal, to illustrate the happiness that the owner and the pet brought to each other.
Do any of them ever want to get a new pet?
Invariably they ask that question, and they ask what I think they should do. Because there is that impulse to replace what is lost, what is deeply meaningful. And I say that’s up to you — there’s no right or wrong answer to that question.
– Liz Essley
