When Your Pet Is Nearing the End: Jenny Gott on Pet Hospice, Family & Giving Yourself Grace (Episode 77) Artwork

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Giving Grief Grace, a Grief Podcast for the Sandwich Generation

When Your Pet Is Nearing the End: Jenny Gott on Pet Hospice, Family & Giving Yourself Grace (Episode 77)

October 25, 2026 • Lisa Hartung • Season 2 • Episode 77

0:00 | 53:34

When a beloved pet is nearing the end of life, it often happens alongside everything else: children, work, and aging parents, with far less support than a human loss would bring. Jenny Gott, founder of Animal Intuition and creator of the Emily’s Path pet hospice program, shares what she learned caring for her own rescue pitbull, Emily, and walking with families through this final chapter. Together we talk about staying present, making room for both guilt and relief, bringing children into the conversation, and honoring a pet after saying goodbye.

Takeaways

Ask what still brings your pet joy. Jenny’s lens for quality of life is whether anything is left on the list that brings them joy, or whether they are “just surviving.” She notes there’s often no single exact moment, but quiet shifts: less interest in favorite things, less appetite, more sleep, or pulling away.
Make the time left count, together. Plan small, doable moments (a popcorn movie night, family photos, a walk), include children in ways that fit their age, and decide how you’d like to honor your pet, whether a letter, a special space at home, or a celebration of life.
Lower the load on yourself. Use the energy-percentage check-in Jenny describes to decide what truly has to happen tonight. Accept help (even a freezer meal), and keep your support in place after your pet has crossed.

“How do we stay here with them? How do we give them the best quality of life while they’re still here?” — Jenny Gott

Connect with Jenny Gott

Website (phone, text, email, social links, newsletter sign-up): www.animal-intuition.com
Emily’s Path Pet Hospice Program: https://animal-intuition.com/pet-hospice-program/
Facebook: Animal.Intuition
Instagram: animalintuitionmn
Subscribe to her newsletter for upcoming events and to hear when she releases her online course for pet families!
Her blog on signs of pain in dogs: https://animal-intuition.com/top-signs-your-dog-is-in-pain/

More from Giving Grief Grace

Our three-part series on talking to children about death with Carrie Silver of A Haven, a child and family grief center: Episode 45, 49, and 50
Share your story or a topic you’d like us to cover: hello@lisahartung.com. Tell me about a pet who changed your family.

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