The Scottish Pet Bereavement Counselling Service

04/10/2025

A very Paul O’Grady way of putting it xx 🥰🌈🐾

Love how much Paul O’Grady cared for animals. 🐕🐈‍⬛

03/09/2025

🚨

🚨 Nationwide Emergency Alert Test — Sunday 7th September, 3pm

The UK’s new emergency alert system will send a loud siren, message, and vibration to every compatible phone even on silent. Survivors of abuse with hidden phones could be put at risk if the device is discovered.

You can opt out in your phone’s settings to protect your safety:
✅ iPhone: Search “Emergency Alerts” in settings → Turn off Severe & Emergency alerts

✅ Android: Search “Emergency Alerts” in settings → Turn off Severe & Emergency alerts (and other threat categories if listed)

02/09/2025

🥰

❤️

28/08/2025

Thinking of all those who are grieving the loss of their beloved companion xx

19/08/2025

I’d like to offer my thanks to those who have been kind and patient as I navigate my own grief journey following the loss of my mother on August 1st after almost a year of illness. It was a privilege to help care for her in her final weeks and months.

I intend to be back at some point in September and will contact those who have joined the waiting list in due course. I will follow up on enquiries of course too to make sure everyone got the support they needed. Xx 🙏

A Safe Harbour

Do not rush or judge a grieving heart,
for sorrow is an ocean.
Sit quietly with those who grieve
and listen without haste or expectation.

Hear the echoes of their love,
the memories that swell like tides,
the tears that rise and fall
across a world that suddenly feels so vast.

Offer your presence as a steady shore,
your silence as a gentle shelter,
your heart as a mirror reflecting only care.

To hold them in the stillness,
to breathe alongside their sorrow,
is a rare and wonderful gift,
a quiet light in the shadowed spaces.

There is no rush, no path to force;
to be there is enough,
to offer a safe harbour to grieve,
until sorrow feels less heavy,
and the heart a little lighter.

~ 'A Safe Harbour' by Spirit of a Hippie

✍️ Mary Anne Byrne

~ Art by Anne Virlange

10/07/2025

Hi Everyone,

I’m taking a break for personal reasons however you can contact one of my colleagues at Association of Pet Bereavement Counsellors or if you specifically want to work with me, you can be added to my waiting list by completing the online form on the contact page of my website.

Thank you for understanding xx 🙏❤️🌈

Please note that we are currently operating a waiting list. Your details will be added and we will be in touch when appointments are available. We look forward to hearing from you soon…

08/06/2025

Whenever you feel that you need support is the right time to reach out and ask for it.
If you’re suffering from anticipatory grief, if it’s been days, weeks, months or years after your pet has crossed the rainbow bridge and you want to talk about it… please don’t hesitate to get in touch via the website. Xx

www.thescottishpetbereavementcounsellingservice.com

08/06/2025

❤️‍🩹

🌟 FAQ: What Should I Do After Euthanasia❓🌟

Saying goodbye is heartbreaking. Here’s what to expect and what’s okay:

🌿 Take your time. Stay with your pet as long as you need.
🌸 Aftercare. Dr Patrick will help with cremation, burial or other choices.
💔 Feel it all. Sadness, relief, guilt—it’s all normal.
🫶 Lean on support. Talk to someone who understands.
💌 Honour their memory. A photo, a letter, a quiet moment—they all matter.

There’s no “right way” to grieve. Just your way. And you're not alone. 💞

06/05/2025

Some useful words of comfort when you don’t quite know what to say xx

Instead of saying, "I know what it feels like", let's say "I cannot imagine your heartbreak".

Instead of saying, "You're strong, you'll get through this, let's say " You'll hurt, and I'll be here.

Instead of saying, "You look like you're doing well, Let's say, "How are you holding up today?"

Instead of saying, "Healing takes time", let's say "Healing has no timeline".

Instead of saying, "Everything happens for a reason, let's say "This must feel so terribly senseless right now".

And when there are no words to say at all, you don't need to try and find some. Love speaks in silences too.

~ 'Words' by Ullie-Kaye

~ Art by Jennifer Yoswa

15/04/2025

This is so sad and easily avoided if people were more responsible and respectful. Xx 😢💔🌈🐾

14/04/2025

And, National Gardening Week is celebrated from April 28th to May 4th! Xx 🪴

Happy National Gardening Day friends!! 🌼

13/04/2025

Further to my previous post on horticulture therapy… You may have allotments or community gardens nearby if you don’t have a garden at home. Xx ❤️🌱🪴