@Hootsuite_Help can you help me How do I

@Hootsuite_Help can you help me How do I get my streams back? what I see is three boxes asking me to sign in for facebook but when I do it says it is already owned by me. I just want the same interface as before

Honeybear’s Story

                   

We’d like to take the time to share a story behind an urn we did for a special customer, Debbie, and her sweet pet Honeybear. Honeybear was a loving, and beautiful golden retriever. She was very loved during her time here and, like many, was very hard to say goodbye to when it was her time to embark on a new journey. We were so honored that we were able to offer Debbie comfort through specializing Honeybear’s memory with a custom made urn pictured below. It is one of our favorites not only because of how beautiful this specific product turned out, but because of the special meaning behind it.

        

Here are some words from Debbie, in honor of Honeybear…

Honeybear was an amazing golden retriever. We have had many, but Honeybear was special. She really was the true queen bee! I chose her from a liter of 6 and the reason I chose her was because she was the only one that didn’t come to me! She sat there and looked at me like she was saying ” I go to no one, they come to me!”  And she was right! Everybody flocked to Honeybear! She was such a mellow girl. She didn’t run around, she pranced! She had a lot of funny little things she did. One of the funniest things was when we someone would  get in the car with us and she was there first, she would not move over! Many times my friends would have to ride in the back seat or get in on the passenger side because she refused to move away from the window! If it was a short ride we didn’t mind, because we would all go along with it and laugh the whole way! Another funny thing she used to do was refuse to walk with anybody but me! One time that really makes me laugh is when we went on vacation and I asked my Dad to walk her while I showered and he put the leash on her, got her outside to the end of the drive and she put on the brakes!!! She refused to go any further with out me. We were inseparable. She went every where with me. She loved the car! I never had to role up the windows because I knew she wouldn’t go anywhere. She also was probably the most photographed dog around. When people would see here sitting in the passenger seat of my corvette they always took pictures. She was a very cool dog! I’ll share one more of my favorite stories about Honeybear which is probably my favorite. Honeybear loved apples,  so in the summertime when they would fall from the tree she would go out and eat just one for breakfast. She never ate more than that during the day. And at night when I would tell her it’s time for bed she would go to the front door and give this faint little bark that meant let me out and she would go to the bathroom then go over and smell each and every Apple before picking out her favorite and then she would bring it in to her bed and I would hear her crunching on her Apple before we would all go to sleep! I think I miss that the most! We have so many great memories of her I wish I could tell the whole world about how special and wonderful she was. So to honor her we ordered the most beautiful urn I could find! I wanted something as beautiful and as unique as she was. I wanted something nice to have on my bedside to wish her goodnight. So now, even after death she remains by my side just as faithful and true as she has always been. When I’m really missing her, all I need to do is reach over and tap on her beautiful box and tell her how beautiful she is and how much I miss her. There is something very comforting about knowing she is right by my side when I fall asleep and when I wake up. For me, there was no other way to honor my best friend. I truly loved my Honeybear.

XOXO, Debbie

 

            

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pet Loss Grief

GRIEVING THE LOSS OF A PET Grief is the normal response to any important loss in life. It occurs regardless of whether death followed a prolonged illness, or a sudden accident. Grieving people experience both physical and emotional traumas as they try to adapt to the upheaval in their lives brought about by the loss. Psychologists have long recognized that the grief suffered by pet owners after their pet dies is the same as that experienced after the death of a person. The death of a pet means the loss of a non-judgmental love source. There is no longer anything for the pet owner to nurture and care for. Furthermore, the owner looses his or her contact with “the natural world.” These feelings can be particularly intense for the elderly, single people and childless couples,( for whom the pet also is a child substitute). THE STAGES OF GRIEF In truth, the process of grief is not a cut and dried process that can be subdivided into strict categories. Rather, the grief process is a continuum, with each person experiencing it in a different way. Dividing the grief process in to “stages” helps the grief stricken person to understand that their experiences and emotions are normal. Some people will quickly progress through all the phases, while others appear to get “stuck” in a particular phase. Briefly, the stages of grief are as follows: 1. SHOCK AND DENIAL The reality of death has not yet been accepted by the bereaved. He or she feels stunned and bewildered-as if everything is “unreal.” 2.ANGER The grief stricken person often lashes out at family, friends, themselves, God, the Veterinarian or the world in general. Bereaved people will also experience feelings of guilt or fear during this stage. 3. BARGAINING In this stage, the bereaved asks for a deal or reward from either God, the Veterinarian or the Clergy. Comments like “I’ll go to Church every day, if only my pet will come back to me” are common. 4. DEPRESSION Depression occurs as a reaction to the changed way of life created by the loss. The bereaved person feels intensely sad, hopeless, drained and helpless. The pet is missed and thought about constantly. 5. ACCEPTANCE Acceptance comes when the changes brought upon the person by the loss are stabilized into a new lifestyle. The depth and intensity of the mourning process depends on many factors. The age of the owner, circumstances surrounding the death, relationship of the animal to the owner and to other family members, are all significant. Recently experiencing the death of a significant person in the owner’s life can also affect how the pet’s death is handled. Usually, children recover more quickly, while the elderly take the longest. Sometimes, the death of a pet will finally enable the bereaved to mourn the loss of a person, whose death had not yet been accepted. PET LOSS AND CHILDREN Many people do not realize how traumatic and confusing death can be on a child. Although children tend to grieve for shorter periods of time, their grief is no less intense than that experienced by adults. Children also tend to come back to the subject repeatedly; so extreme patience is required when dealing with the grieving child. Some helpful tips for helping the grieving child include: Giving the child permission to work through their grief. – tell their teacher about the pet’s death. – encourage the child to talk freely about the pet. – give the child plenty of hugs and reassurance. – discuss death, dying and grief honestly. NEVER say things like “God took your pet,” or the pet was “put to sleep.” Include the child in everything that is going on. Explain the permanency of death.   DO PETS GRIEVE? What many people find hard to believe is that animals can form very firm attachments with each other. Even pets that outwardly seem to barely get along will exhibit intense stress reactions when separated. In fact, grieving pets can show many symptoms identical to those experienced by the bereaved pet owner. The surviving pet(s) may become restless, anxious and depressed. There may also be much sighing, along with sleep and eating disturbances. Often, grieving pets will search for their dead companions and crave more attention from their owners. How can an owner help the grieving pet? By following the following recommendations: Keep the surviving pet(s) routines as normal as possible. Try not to unintentionally reinforce the behavior changes. Allow the surviving animals to work out the new dominance hierarchy themselves. Don’t get a new pet to help the grieving pet(s) unless the owner is ready. Should the owner let the surviving animals see and smell their dead companion? There is no evidence that doing so will help the surviving pet(s), but some people claim that it does. Usually, all it accomplishes is to make the owner feel better. Therefore, if the owner wants to have the surviving pets “say good-bye,” then it should be allowed. HEALING Given time, healing will occur for the bereaved owner. However, there are several things that the grief-stricken owner can do to help speed up the healing process:  Give yourself permission to grieve. -only YOU know what your pet meant to you.  Memorialize your pet. – makes the loss real and helps with closure. – allows the bereaved to express their feelings, pay tribute and reflect. – draws in social support. Buy a special urn  or memorial for your pet. Write a story about your pet. Create a collage, photo album, or scrapbook of your pet. Save something that belonged to your pet: collar, hair clipping, toy. Write a farewell letter to your pet. Plant a tree for your pet. Volunteer your time to an animal charity. Make a donation to a charity in your pet’s honor. Suggestions for Coping Cry. If you suppress your feelings, it will only delay the healing process. Talk about your feelings with a compassionate friend or family member. If your grief is intense, take some time off from work (if possible). Remember the things your pet did that made you laugh or smile. Write down what you are experiencing in a journal. Hold some sort of private service for your pet. Read a pet grief book. Light a candle for your pet. Pray. Your animal is listening.    Get lots of rest, good nutrition and exercise.  Surround yourself with people who understand your loss. let others care for you. take advantage of support groups for bereaved pet owners.  Learn all you can about the grief process.  Accept the feelings that come with grief. – talk, write, sing, or draw.   Indulge yourself in small pleasures.  Be patient with yourself. -DON’T let society dictate how long mourning should last.   Give yourself permission to backslide.  Don’t be afraid to get help. pet loss support groups grief counselors. CONCLUSION Grief is probably the most confusing, frustrating and emotional thing that a person can experience. It is even more so for pet owners. Society in general does not give bereaved pet owners “permission” to grieve openly. Consequently, pet owners often feel isolated and alone. Luckily, more and more resources are becoming available to help the bereaved pet owner realize that they are NOT alone and that what they are feeling is entirely normal.

Above all remember the good times you had with your pet! Click button below to go to our Guardian Angel Site where you will find pet loss poems.

Kids and Grief

Helping a child cope with pet loss

The loss of a pet may be your child’s first experience of death—and your first opportunity to teach them about coping with the grief and pain that inevitably accompanies the joy of loving another living creature. Losing a pet can be a traumatic experience for any child. Many kids love their pets very deeply and some may not even remember a time in their life when the pet wasn’t around. A child may feel angry and blame themselves—or you—for the pet’s death. A child may feel scared that other people or animals they love may also leave them. How you handle the grieving process can determine whether the experience has a positive or negative effect on your child’s personal development.

Some parents feel they should try to shield their children from the sadness of losing a pet by either not talking about the pet’s death, or by not being honest about what’s happened. Pretending the animal ran away, or “went to sleep,” for example, can leave a child feeling even more confused, frightened, and betrayed when they finally learn the truth. It’s far better to be honest with children and allow them the opportunity to grieve in their own way.

Tips for a helping a child cope with the loss of a pet

• Let your child see you express your own grief at the loss of the pet. If you don’t experience the same sense of loss as your child, respect their grief and let them express their feelings openly, without making them feel ashamed or guilty. Children should feel proud that they have so much compassion and care deeply about their animal companions.
• Reassure your child that they weren’t responsible for the pet’s death. The death of a pet can raise a lot of questions and fears in a child. You may need to reassure your child that you, their parents, are not also likely to die. It’s important to talk about all their feelings and concerns.
• Involve your child in the dying process. If you’ve chosen euthanasia for your pet, be honest with your child. Explain why the choice is necessary and give the child chance to spend some special time with the pet and say goodbye in his or her own way.
• If possible, give the child an opportunity to create a memento of the pet. This could be a special photograph, or a plaster cast of the animal’s paw print, for example.
• Allow the child to be involved in any memorial service, if they desire. Holding a funeral or creating a memorial for the pet can help your child express their feelings openly and help process the loss.
• Do not rush out to get the child a “replacement pet” before they have had chance to grieve the loss they feel. Your child may feel disloyal, or you could send the message that the grief and sadness felt when something dies can simply be overcome by buying a replacement.

Making the decision to put a pet to sleep

A decision concerning euthanasia may be one of the most difficult decisions you will ever have to make for your pet. As a loving pet owner, though, the time may come when you need to help your pet make the transition from life to death, with the help of your veterinarian, in as painless and peaceful a way as possible.

Knowing when it’s time to put a pet to sleep

Euthanasia for a beloved pet is highly personal decision and usually comes after a diagnosis of a terminal illness and with the knowledge that the animal is suffering seriously. Your choices for your pet should be informed by the care and love you feel for the animal. Important things to consider include:

• Activity level. Does your pet still enjoy previously loved activities or is he/she able to be active at all?
• Response to care and affection. Does your pet still interact and respond to love and care in the usual ways?
• Amount of pain and suffering. Is your pet experiencing pain and suffering which outweigh any pleasure and enjoyment in life?
• Terminal illness or critical injury. Have illness or injury prohibited your pet from enjoying life? Is your pet facing certain death from the injury or illness?
• Your family’s feelings. Is your family unanimous in the decision? If not, and you still feel it is the best thing for your pet, can you live with the decision that you have to make?

If you do decide that ending the suffering is in your pet’s best interest, take your time to create a process that is as peaceful as possible for you, your pet, and your family. You may want to have a last day at home with the pet in order to say goodbye, or to visit the pet at the animal hospital. You can also choose to be present during your pet’s euthanasia, or to say goodbye beforehand and remain in the veterinary waiting room or at home. This is an individual decision for each member of the family.

What to expect when putting your dog or cat to sleep

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, euthanasia for a pet is most often achieved by injection of a death-inducing drug. The veterinarian may administer a tranquilizer first to relax your pet. Following the injection of the euthanasia drug, your pet will immediately become unconscious. Death is quick and painless. Your pet may move its legs or breathe deeply several times after the drug is given, but these are reflexes and don’t mean that your pet is in pain or is suffering.

How to explain pet euthanasia to a child

Explain that the pet is ill, often suffering, and that you have the ability to end that suffering in a very humane and gentle way. It is a simple injection, very peaceful and painless, and if you really love a pet you have to make these kinds of difficult decisions.

• Children tend to feed off of how their parents react. If a parent is hysterical, the children will be the same. If the parents are truly sad, and deal with the sadness in a healthy and thoughtful manner, the children will follow their example.

If you are putting your beloved pet to sleep for the right reasons, tell your children that it is OK to feel sad, but don’t feel guilty. These are two very different emotions. You should feel sad, and your children can feel the sadness, but don’t mix guilt in with the sadness. One emotion is healthy, the other terribly burdensome

Lucca One Special War Dog

🐾❤Yesterday we shared the history of several well know war dogs and today we would like to tell you about one in particular Lucca who was awarded Top Honor For Valor 🐾❤.

There reportedly wasn’t a single human casualty during any of her patrols.

 

“She is the only reason I made it home to my family and I am fortunate to have served with her,” said Gunnery Sgt. Chris Willingham shown in this picture, who now cares for Lucca. “In  addition to her incredible detection capabilities, Lucca was instrumental in increasing morale for the troops we supported.” Lucca lifted spirits as she worked her therapy magic on the troops

Lucca was recognized for her years of service and heroism ~ honored with the prestigious Dickin Medal — described as the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross — which is the highest military honor~ The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), a British charity that’s been awarding the PDSA Dickin Medal since 1943, said it is the highest honor that any animal in the world can achieve for military service.

🐾❤Lucca was the first American dog to receive the medal decoration awarded for valor in the U.K. 🐾❤

Lucca lost her front leg in a roadside IED blast while on duty in Afghanistan. The hero canine had already served in the military for over six years, successfully completing more than 400 missions and protecting the lives of thousands of allied troops in areas of conflict in the Middle East before the IED blast.

On March 23, 2012, Lucca lost her leg and suffered burns while on patrol for bombs. She found a weapons cache in a poppy field that day, as well as an IED, which was successfully cleared. Later, however, a second IED detonated as she was searching for other weapons.

❤No soldiers were injured in the blast❤.

“The explosion was huge and I immediately feared the worst for Lucca,” said one of her handlers, Cpl. Juan Rodriguez. “I ran to her and saw her struggling to get up. I picked her up and ran to the shelter of a nearby tree line, applied a tourniquet to her injured leg and called the medics to collect us. I stayed with her constantly throughout her operation and her recovery. She had saved my life on so many occasions — I had to make sure that I was there for her when she needed me.”

Lucca was evacuated from Afghanistan to Germany for treatment, then moved to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California to complete her recovery.

Gunnery sergeant Christopher Willingham, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA, poses with retired US Marine dog Lucca, after receiving the PDSA Dickin Medal, awarded for animal bravery, equivalent of the Victoria Cross, at Wellington Barracks in London, Tuesday, April 5, 2016. The 12-year-old German Shepherd lost her leg on 23 March 2012, in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, when Lucca discovered a 30lb improvised explosive device (IED) and as she searched for additional IEDs, a second device detonated, instantly loosing her front left leg. Lucca completed over 400 separate missions in Iraq and Afghanistan during six years of active service protected the lives of thousands of troops, with her heroic actions recognised by the UK’s leading veterinary charity, PDSA, with the highest award any animal in the world can achieve while serving in military conflict.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

“She had her surgery and amazingly within 10 days she was walking around again,” Willingham told ABC News. ” 🐾❤The best part is that she has the same personality as she had before the blast 🐾❤.”

Today, Lucca is enjoying retirement in California. She spends her days visiting schools and attending community events — and getting lots of cuddles and treats.

“I do my best to keep her spoiled,” Willinghsaiam said

 

Benny and Monkey’s Story

Paws2Heaven’s goal is to cherish the lives of animals not only after they have passed on, but also during their lives now. All our products serve the same purpose, in that they all strive to capture beautiful memories and moments with your pets, so that you may cherish and preserve them forever. So, you may be wondering, how did this business come about?

This adventure began with owner taking in two rescue cats named Benny and Monkey (pictured above). They shared beautiful memories together during their time here, and after they had passed, the owner was inspired to find a way to keep those memories alive so that her two cats could somehow still be here with her even though they had passed on. In the midst of dealing with this loss, she was able to come up with the idea of Paws2Heaven in 2003. She was inspired and determined to not only make products that were able to personalize her pets lives forever, but was also set on sharing these products with other pet owners, so that they too could find comfort in her products as well.

In addition to Benny and Monkey inspiring Paws2Heaven’s product assortments, they also inspired the owner to begin the BenMonk fund. This fund was developed specifically to donate proceeds to rescue and adoption shelters. These proceeds assist in lowering adoption rates for animals in these shelters, so that they all have a better chance at receiving a warm and comforting homes which would enable them to live out the beautiful life that they deserve. Proceeds have been donated to local animal shelters here in Columbus, Ohio such as Cozy Cat Cottage and Cat Colony. Adoption rates for animals in these shelters range anywhere between $70-250.00 so our mission is to do the best we can in our donations to make is easier and more affordable to find these sweet animals a home.

Paws2Heaven offers products that range from marble etched urns, imprinted lockets, and  etched photo plaques, all with the purpose to cherish the life of your animal and allow their memory to be eternal….

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.”

 

Putting your pet in the will

Ever consider putting your pet in your will?

Those of us who think of our companion animals as family members are becoming aware of the fact that part of our responsibility to these dependent creatures is to make sure that their care and comfort continue uninterrupted should we become incapable of caring for them ourselves. One way to plan for that contingency is to set up something called a pet trust. To help you decide if this might work for you, here are some basic definitions and guidelines to keep in mind:

What is a Pet Trust?

A pet trust is a legally sanctioned arrangement providing for the care and maintenance of one or more companion animals in the event of a grantor’s disability or death. The “grantor” (also called a settlor or trustor in some states) is the person who creates the trust, which may take effect during a person’s lifetime or at death. Typically, a trustee will hold property (cash, for example) “in trust” for the benefit of the grantor’s pets. Payments to a designated caregiver(s) will be made on a regular basis. The trust, depending upon the state in which it is established, will continue for the life of the pet or 21 years, whichever occurs first. Some states allow a pet trust to continue for the life of the pet without regard to a maximum duration of 21 years. This is particularly advantageous for companion animals that have longer life expectancies than cats and dogs, such as horses and parrots.

Why a Pet Trust?

Because most trusts are legally enforceable arrangements, pet owners can be assured that their directions regarding their companion animal(s) will be carried out. A trust can be very specified in a trust agreement you write down everything that’s important to you that your pet gets. If you want your pet to visit the veterinarian four times a year, this can also be included Since pet owners know the particular habits of their companion animals better than anyone else, they can describe the kind of care they want for their pets

Pet Stories