Honoring the Bond

Our Services

The mission of the Honoring the Bond Program at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at The Ohio State University is to provide veterinary teams with the non-medical tools and skills needed to promote quality veterinary care and veterinary career success.

Service Highlights

• Licensed  social worker
• Professional development, communication skills training and practice management skills education for veterinary students, veterinarians and veterinary staff
• Providing applied learning opportunities to foster veterinary teambuilding and enhance veterinary team communication.
• Providing non-medical outreach services, including grief education and support, for pet owners.
• CALL (Companion Animal Listening Line), a student volunteer line providing non-medical support and grief education to grieving pet owners.
• Field training/internship site for graduate social work students.

Appointments & Office Hours

• Office Hours: 9 am – 5 pm Monday - Friday
• Pet Loss Hotline*: call for current hours
• Client consultations are available by phone, e-mail or in person during regular office hours. Appointments and phone consultation also available through referral by OSU or family veterinarian.
• Honoring the Bond Program Coordinator: 
  
  • (614) 247-8607
  • honoringthebond@osu.edu

*Hotline hours are dependent upon volunteer availability and are subject to change without notice.

What to Expect

Clients who are facing the serious illness, injury or death of a pet often require additional support and information from the veterinary medical team. The Honoring the Bond Program supports the client and the veterinary medical team by providing consultation to clients about difficult decision-making, euthanasia, coping with the death of a pet, helping children cope with pet and helping surviving companion animals cope with the death of a family pet. Consultations can be arranged by a member of your pet's veterinary team by contacting Joelle Nielsen, MSW, LSW, Honoring the Bond program Coordinator, or by contacting the CALL line at (614) 292-1823.

Special Equipment & Technology

• Brochures
• E-mail consultation
• CALL service available

Common Conditions & Procedures

Consultation services and educational resources are available for the following:

• Coping with the injury, illness or death of a pet
• Helping children cope with the death of a pet
• Difficult decision-making
• Euthanasia
• Do companion animals grieve?
• What to say to someone who has experienced the death of a pet
• Cremation and aftercare services

Help Honor the Bond

Honoring the Bond is nonprofit and relies on the generous support of pet owners, veterinarians and corporate and industry leaders. If you would like to contribute, please see the donation form .