Palliative Veterinarian sees the power of text-based support for grieving pet owners
Dr. Lianna Titcombe is a certified hospice veterinarian and the founder of Claire Place Veterinary Hospice Mobile Services, a business she created in 2012 to provide care for terminally ill companion animals and also provide support for their families, all in the comfort of their own homes. Lianna is a proud entrepreneur who has grown her business so that now she’s able to employ a team of veterinarians to provide thoughtful care for animals at the end of life. As an international instructor for CAETA, the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy, Dr. Titcombe is also dedicated to expanding the field and training others to provide compassionate end-of-life care and support to animals and their families.
In 2022 Lianna was introduced to Emma Payne, an entrepreneur whose company - Help Texts - was providing expert grief support to families grieving the death of a loved one, all via text message. Emma had started hearing from people grieving a pet death, who wished they could receive the same robust and thoughtful year of text support that Help Texts subscribers grieving the death of a person was receiving. Emma agreed, and Lianna was one of the first to step forward and offer her expertise. Together they talked about the nuances and special considerations when supporting pet parents after their animal dies. They talked about the need to support families after a euthanasia for example, or when an animal goes missing and isn’t found.
A year later Help Texts for Pet Loss was born. The service launched in July of 2023, and Lianna was happy to introduce Help Texts to the pet loss community at the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC) conference held in Fort Worth in September.
“Grieving a pet often leads to disenfranchised grief,” Lianna says. “This describes a loss that isn't always socially acknowledged or supported, which can leave people feeling isolated in their grief. I love that Help Texts now provides the support that grieving pet owners desperately need and deserve.”
As an Expert Contributor, Lianna helped to craft text messages that are available in 24 languages and delivered straight to people’s phones all around the world.
In addition to being one of Help Texts’ valued expert contributors, Lianna also helps to spread the word about expert, text-based grief support as a Help Texts’ affiliate. Every time one of her clients or community members purchases text support using her affiliate code, Lianna donates her affiliate fee to the Goodbye My Friend Fund, a Fund she started years ago after receiving a meaningful donation from a gentleman who wanted to support the work she was doing to care for animals. “He wasn’t a rich man,” Lianna shares about her donor, “but he wanted to help others experience the same compassionate home care that he had received for his dog." Any commissions I receive go into a donation account for less fortunate families who can't afford home euthanasia for their pets," Lianna explains. Over the years Lianna has extended Help Texts to support to both clients and friends and has seen first hand that the texts can offer a lifeline during dark moments, and reach people who might not otherwise receive support.
With the help of experienced veterinarians like Dr. Titcombe, Emma and her team at Help Texts are proud to be making a difference in people's lives every day, offering gentle and supportive messages as they grieve. “The beauty of our text-based support system lies in its simplicity and accessibility,” Emma says. “Grieving people receive carefully crafted messages tailored to their loss, that provide comfort, validation, and practical coping strategies. These texts serve as a constant reminder that they're not alone in their grief journey.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with the loss of a beloved pet, remember that support is available right away, and for a full year, from Help Texts.