hetrick

media.com

&pet-sitting

losing my dog, ville (pronounced vee-lay, the version of the name "william" if you live in finland, meaning "determined protector"), in 2023 to a tumor of cancer in his liver eventually taking over after many good months, despite the mass, changed my world and my heart in a way i knew might come someday—but i had no idea how vast and complex my grief would become and what a teacher it would be for me.

i learned so incredibly much in the months of taking care of him more thoroughly once we knew he was sick, especially toward the end, and even more so once he was no longer in my world and days. jamie anderson's words as grief is love with no place to go have resonated with me so poignantly since the loss. missing him is still so strong of a feeling for me, yet i'm grateful for the time i had with him more than i can fit into language, yes, even as a writer. that's how monumental this loss was for me, but again, brimming with lessons which i appreciate at such a deep and cavernous level.

later in the year of losing ville, in missing him so fully, i began pet-sitting as i'd done before i first had him in my world almost two decades prior, in wanting to spend more of my life-minutes with animals again. but this time, my connection with animals and my understanding of their worlds had grown so much, and it continues to do so every time i get to know another fur kid a little better. working with more and more animals also means i've developed a more informed understanding of animal needs and care, often with customized approaches based on what's best for an animal and their loved ones.

ville's influence

into my pet-sitting

what the folks i pet-sit for seem to appreciate most is that they know how much i loved and deeply cared for my dog, ville, and how i worked hard to do everything i could to make his life and days their best in his final years, especially as his health became more complex. people see that i bring this same depth of love, care, and accountability into my moments with their fur kids. and i am so grateful for the expansive-feeling relationships i have with animals; they teach us so tremendously much.

i am also a professional proofreader, editor, writer, poet, and interviewer.

we write to taste life twice.

— anaïs nin