“I am more whole now, knowing how much I loved, than I was before my heart was broken.”
Carol J. Adams - Prayers for Animals
TESTIMONIALS
Laura, you are the perfect person to help us bond and celebrate, mourn and memorialize these intensely loving relationships we’ve formed with the animals in our lives. You are tapping into such an area of intense emotional need with your personalized pet ceremonies, and it’s so wonderful!
Annie Clayton, NYC
My dog Max and I were extremely bonded and did everything together. When he died suddenly and unexpectedly, the initial pain of that trauma was overwhelming. I was debilitated by shock and then by my intense emotions. My rational mind struggled to reconcile these, but it couldn't. I had to feel my way through my grief and that seemed like an impossibly daunting journey.
I connected with Laura because I knew her personally and that she would understand the depths of my loss. Her empathy, experience, and calming demeanor allowed me to talk honestly about the experience and share feelings of some vulnerability. Her support and insights were of great comfort. I highly recommend Laura's grief coaching sessions to anyone who needs help to recover from the heartbreak of losing an animal companion.
Derek Johnson, NYC
Laura’s equal love and compassion for humans and animals makes her the perfect Pet Celebrant for times of joy and sadness.
Fred Buchholtz, NYC / PA
I attended a Celebration of Life ceremony for a friend’s cat who had died unexpectedly. Laura conducted the ceremony not only with great sensitivity and warmth, but also with a loving lightness that allowed my friend to begin to transform her intense grief by reconnecting with all the joy the cat had brought into her life.
Mirja Renner, NYC
When my Yorkie Riesling died suddenly, I asked Laura to create a Celebration of Life to honor her. Intuitively, compassionately and eloquently, Laura wrote and performed a ceremony that perfectly communicated the pure love Ries embodied. She also assisted with event planning and set-up, providing a stress-free experience for me during a very emotional time. The beautiful altar Laura helped me create provided so much comfort to me. It was a daily reminder as I was grieving that my little girl was still near.
Angela Sanko, Brooklyn
What do you do when you lose a dearly beloved paw baby? Sometimes you can’t even grieve properly because of those around you who think “he was just an animal,” or judge you for having such a strong emotional connection with a non-human being.
Well, when I lost my amazing Coco, I knew I had to honor my grief and the passing of Coco officially like I would for a close family member. Luckily, I found Laura, who performed memorial services for pets.
She helped me design an altar. I picked navy and gold as Coco’s colors because he was strong and carried many royal traits, and I bought the decorative items that Laura suggested. We created a display on the fireplace mantel and side table that included candles, my Coco’s picture and ashes, and the flowers and gifts that guests brought.
This was my favorite part of the experience because it was overwhelmingly beautiful and a wonderful tribute to my baby.
The ceremony began with my Coco’s life story, and later guests shared their own memories of Coco. Many of these were funny because my cat intimidated the hell out most people. To end the ceremony, Laura guided a short meditation to help Coco travel to his perfect next place. And because Coco was very compassionate, we also remembered and sent love to all the animals around the world who had died recently without anyone to care.
I know my grieving process would not have been complete without this beautiful service. Being able to properly honor my Coco helped me to cope with the greatest loss of my life.
Jenny Choe, NYC
Laura is such a kind, considerate and helpful person. She is always a calming, comforting presence and so caring about people and animals. When our 13 year-old store cat got suddenly sick and died, she made a eulogy poster for Oatmeal to help our staff tell the sad news to our customers without us always crying. It was sweet and humorous and really, really meant so much to us.
George, Pet Ark, NYC
In many ways, I owe my purrfect life to Laura. She helped care for me when I lived on the streets, found me when I was injured and lost, and adopted me into a doting home. Laura is thoughtful, warm and very attuned to the needs of us animals and our humans. She never forgets my adoptiversary, brings me toys and treats, and always understands what I’m trying to say, even if it’s as subtle as a squint or a twitch of my tail!