Maintain a caring connection

To continue expressing their sympathy after a client's pet has been euthanized, Dr. James Randolph and the team at Animal General Hospital in Long Beach, Miss., send a follow-up card about six weeks after the first sympathy card. In the card, Dr. Randolph tells a comforting story about the pet's youth and shares his hope that those memories have buoyed the client during a difficult time. This approach maintains a connection with clients and their other pets, and it also expresses the awareness that grief isn't overcome in a week. Investing in this personal connection, Dr. Randolph says, allows him to provide a high level of care for valued clients' present and future pets.