The human-animal bond and grief is the topic for the second in a series of workshops about pet loss and bereavement counseling, scheduled for Saturday, April 3, from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine.

Featured speaker is Carolyn Butler, director of the Changes program at Colorado State University's Veterinary Teaching Hospital and a specialist in bond-centered veterinary practice. That approach helps veterinarians respond simultaneously to the medical needs of animals and the emotional needs of clients, according to Butler. She is co-author of the textbook The Human-Animal Bond and Grief (W.B. Saunders Publishing Co., 1994).

The workshop series is coordinated by Cornell's Pet Loss Support Hotline. Workshop sponsors include the Ithaca Mental Health Association, the Ralston Purina Co. and Waltham Brand Partnerships.

"The nature of this material crosses the disciplines of veterinary medicine, human psychology, animal behavior and professional counseling," explains Jane Shaw, D.V.M., instructor in the college's Department of Molecular Medicine and faculty supervisor for the Pet Loss Support Hotline program. "It is the aim of the workshop to unite these topics in a way that makes them accessible to members of several diverse professions, so that we can all better serve our clients and ourselves."

The workshop will address several related topics: the bond-centered veterinary practice, manifestations of normal and complicated grief, euthanasia with the client present, facilitation of decisions regarding euthanasia and treatment options, after-death issues, intervention in special situations and self-care for the practitioner.

For more information about the April workshop or to register, contact Jane Shaw via e-mail at jrs31@cornell.edu or by phone at (607) 253-3763.