Tender Tails Program
About Tender Tails
Tender Tails is a veterinary social work program that provides compassionate emotional support to pet parents and veterinary professionals in Atlantic Canada and Ontario.
The program offers counselling, grief and bereavement services, and guidance through difficult pet health and end-of-life decisions. It helps individuals and families cope with the emotional impact of companion animal illness, loss, and caregiving.
The program also provides therapy to veterinary professionals who cope with the unique stressors of the veterinary industry.
Compassionate Support For Pet Parents
Losing a pet can be heartbreaking, and grief can be very isolating. Family members and friends may tell you to move on, but there is no timeline. Grief is an entirely normal and natural response to the loss of your pet. Grief is a complex mix of emotions, none of which are wrong.
You may experience immense guilt, sadness, anger, disbelief, forgetfulness, confusion, exhaustion, or feeling like there is something wrong with you. You are not meant to be rushed or be alone when you grieve. You do not have to experience your grief alone. There is support available, and we are here to help!
Types of Appointments
Individual counseling and short-term couples' grief counceling are available in person at Carnegy Animal Hospital, virtually, or by phone.
Eight-week pet loss virtual support group for adults mourning their pets. This group provides information on grief-related subjects through informal discussions and sharing stories. Topics such as guilt, anxiety, and regret are covered.
Direct billing is available through most benefit plans.
Veterinary Social Worker
About Kathleen
Kathleen Dunbar is a Registered Social Worker (RSW- Clinical Specialist) and Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) with the Tender Tails program.
She specializes in supporting people experiencing pet loss, grief, and bereavement, as well as helping veterinary professionals manage compassion fatigue, burnout, and workplace stress. Kathleen combines her background in veterinary medicine and social work to provide counselling and group support for both pet parents and veterinary teams.
Before becoming a social worker, she worked for many years in veterinary practice and in mental health settings, which informs her focus on the human–animal bond and emotional well-being in veterinary care.
Kathleen Dunbar
MSW, RSW- Clinical Specialist, RVT
Kathleen Dunbar
MSW, RSW- Clinical Specialist, RVT
