Memory Tree

On Sunday between bouts of rain we managed to get along to Callan Park in Sydney and join in on the first Our Wonderful Pets’ Picnic. The purpose of the Picnic was to partly raise money for the pets and animals that had suffered during the Queensland floods but it was also to give thanks to all pets — past and present — for sharing their lives and giving their love so unconditionally.

The focus of the day was a ceremony and a Memory Tree that was created (on the day) from photos of pets who had passed away. The ceremony was lead by Victoria Spence, a civil celebrant, and it acknowledged and remembered all our pets. Other activities during the day included: Wonderdog trick shows, training demos, agility sessions, a kids’ colouring competition, plus photo opportunities with the Wonderdogs and Dr Katrina Warren. We got there just in time to see the dog trick competition, but Cress and Eddie were too shy to enter.

Although the picnic is over you can still visit the Our Wonderful Pets website which is an ongoing resource to help those dealing with the loss of a pet. The site is based around Dr Katrina Warren’s own loss of her dog and cat within a short time of each other. She realised that there are very few ways to reach out to those who are suffering similar losses or services to help people through the difficult time. I know when I have lost pets in the past (the most recent being my beloved cat Helmette) I have found it very hard to share the loss openly as many people don’t understand how devastating the experience can be and how it impacts your everyday life.

The Our Wonderful Pets website is a collaboration between Dr Katrina Warren, the Pet Information and Advisory Service (PIAS) and Victoria Spence (mentioned above), who is not only a civil celebrant but an expert in end of life care.

All the money raised from the day went to the Animal Welfare League to help them continue to actively contribute to the ongoing recovery efforts in Queensland and Northern NSW.

Published on March 2, 2011

4 comments from other dog lovers

1. Friday Fluffy | Pretty Fluffy commented on March 4, 2011

   [...] in Show and Best in Park Juicy Couture goes canine over at Barkzilla A pet project with a twist A good cause over at Puppy Tales Happy Weekend Pretty Fluffies! xo Related posts:Friday [...]

2. Bec commented on March 4, 2011

   Wonderful idea!

3. Serena commented on March 15, 2011

   PS. We’ve nominated Puppy Tales for a Stylish Blogger Award here http://prettyfluffy.com/2011/03/stylish-blogger-award/
   xo

4. Mamzeli commented on April 11, 2011

   Great idea. I liked it.