If you’ve ever experienced the loss of a furry friend, Kristen Griffin has a message: You are not alone, and your grief is valid.
“Our bond with our pet is just different,” says Griffin, an end-of-life-stage pet doula and children’s book author. “For some, they are the only companions they may have now.”
The Coast native, wife and mom of two has held several professional roles: office assistant manager, substitute teacher at Holy Trinity Catholic School, owner of a small farm and previous co- owner of The Cocktail Carriage to name a few. After attending school for education in St. Augustine, Florida, she decided to change direction and began working for Matanzas River Animal Hospital.
That experience led Griffin to enroll in a veterinary technician program, and 16 years later, pets remain her passion.
“I have always liked animals,” Griffin says. “Being an advocate for them came easy.”
MEMORIALIZING MAGNUM
Now describing herself as a “stay-at-home-ish” mom, Griffin left her career in the veterinary field to concentrate on motherhood.
“I was just finishing up maternity leave and postpartum with two under 2 and a husband who worked in the Gulf half the month,” she recalls. “Going back to work full time was absolutely not in the cards.”
She still wanted to put her love of animals into practice, but she wasn’t sure how. Then her “soul dog,” Magnum, was diagnosed with cancer and given a month to live.
“When he passed away, I knew I wanted to do something to memorialize him,” Griffin says. “Thus began my journey as an end-of-life stage pet doula and later writing a children’s book about his life.”
NAVIGATING DIFFICULT EMOTIONS
Titled “Magnum’s Final Goodbye,” the book tells the beloved dog’s story and ends with him going on a new adventure over the Rainbow Bridge. Griffin asked illustrator and local artist Leanna Garcia to leave the faces blank, she explains, because she wanted readers to be able to see themselves in the characters.
The back of the book contains interactive pages for families who are facing anticipatory grief or already have gone through the motions of saying goodbye to their pet and may not know what to say.
These are the very moments Griffin is qualified to help navigate. Her biggest tip: Talking about it together is a must.
“Our children have big emotions, and we want to raise emotionally intelligent humans,” she says. “My advice is to say something that goes with your parenting style and be consistent. Open the floor up for discussions, and do regular check-ins … .”
PUTTING INSTINCTS INTO ACTION
In her doula capacity, Griffin often acts as a bridge between families and the vet’s office.
“The best way I can explain is, you recently left the vet and got some terrible news about your pet,” she explains. “You’re thinking, ‘Now what?’ This is where I come in.”
Although not a licensed therapist, Griffin can help clients assess their animals, answer their questions, help them plan and, perhaps most importantly, offer kindness and a listening ear.
“Being a new(er) mom, one of the top questions I’ve been asked over the years, ‘What I am going to tell my children?” became so relatable in the last year,” she says. “I took my experience, my love for our dog and my momma-bear instincts, and I put it all into action.”
Those instincts, especially her motherly ones, are what Griffin remains most proud of. From chasing her llama around the farm to guiding others through grief, her day-to-day life tends to be unpredictable — but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Each day is literally different … just wild,” she says, “but I love it and make it a point to find something I am grateful for every day.”