Animal Soulmates

About 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!

Publisher

Abbie Viscardi

Category

education · science · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

11 Jan 2024

Latest episode

8 Oct 2024

Latest episodes

35 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   8 Oct 2024

   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 animals, to improve the lives of our pets. We chat about the potential health benefits of CBD, how Emma came to have such an incredible animal haven, and how she connects with species beyond the “classic companion animal” like a dog or cat. We also hear abo...

2. 

   1 Oct 2024

   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, including what it is and what it feels like, and then goes through the different types of grief that may be encountered on your healing journey, including acute, anticipatory, ambiguous, disenfranchised, and complicated. We hear about why it’s so important to address pet loss and t...

3. 

   24 Sept 2024

   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-coloured Australian Shepherd, was rescued from Ashe County Animal Control. Sheley had no experience working with deaf dogs but found McGrady to be a quick study, eager to learn with the sweetest temperament. McGrady worked as a therapy dog throughout his life, ...

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

11 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

6 ratings