Certified hospice, palliative & senior care support for families with aging and seriously ill pets — Greater Ann Arbor & virtually, anywhere in the U.S.
Your pet is getting older. Or you just got the news you weren’t ready for.
Either way — you don’t have to figure this out alone.
Telos provides certified hospice, palliative, and senior care support for families with aging and seriously ill pets — in Greater Ann Arbor and virtually, anywhere in the U.S.
This is the expert guidance, honest information, and steady presence that specialized hospice and palliative care actually requires — and that a flood of misinformation online, combined with the very real gaps that exist even within excellent veterinary care, has made harder to navigate than it should be.
Ready to connect?
Start by sending an email. It’s the best first step — for both of us.
Telos — from the ancient Greek for purpose. Because every life, however long, deserves to be lived fully — right to the very end.
When your pet is aging or facing a serious diagnosis, two things happen at once: the practical demands of caregiving increase — often significantly — and the emotional weight of what’s coming becomes almost unbearable. Most families carry both without real support, doing their absolute best in an impossibly hard situation, without a clear sense of what to do next — or what comes after that.
Working with Telos changes that. Not by removing the uncertainty that comes with an aging pet — that’s real, and it doesn’t disappear. But by giving you the knowledge, the framework, and the ongoing support to meet it with confidence rather than dread.
You’ll understand what you’re seeing when your pet’s condition changes — and what it means. You’ll have a plan built around your pet’s specific needs. You’ll know what to expect, and you’ll know what to do when things shift. And because that clarity and support are in place, you’ll have something most families in this situation rarely get: the freedom to move fluidly between making the best decisions for your pet and simply being present with them.
None of this makes the grief smaller. It won’t lighten the weight of watching someone you love decline, or make the destination any less real. What it does is make sure you don’t have to face any of it alone — and that when the hardest moments come, you’re ready.
Not because the situation isn’t devastating. Because you are.
WHAT TELOS OFFERS
You don’t need to be in crisis to reach out. Whether your pet is healthy and thriving, showing signs of aging, managing a complex diagnosis, or facing end of life — there is a level of support here designed for exactly where you are. And if you’re not sure which one fits, that’s fine too. That’s what the first conversation is for.
ANY AGE, ANY HEALTH STATUS
Overnight Stays
For families who need a deeply experienced, Fear Free certified professional — not just a sitter. Pets of every age and health status, including those with complex medical needs, thrive with the right person in their corner.
WHEN LIFE DOESN’T PAUSE
Respite Care
Caring for a pet with special needs, complex behavior, or a serious illness is demanding — and you need relief. Respite care provides experienced, attentive support for part of a day, several days, or longer.
AGING PETS
Senior & Geriatric Support
For families noticing changes in an aging pet — and wanting expert guidance, honest answers, and a plan before bigger challenges develop.
SERIOUS ILLNESS & END OF LIFE
Hospice & Palliative Care
For families noticing changes like age-related decline in their pet and/or when a terminal diagnosis has been assessed — and wanting expert guidance, honest answers, and a plan before bigger challenges develop.
GRIEF & LOSS
Pet Loss Support
For families navigating anticipatory grief, fresh loss, or grief that’s been carried for a long time. Private, one-on-one, judgment-free support from a Certified Pet Loss & Grief Companion.
ANYWHERE IN THE U.S.
Virtual Support
The same depth of certified expertise and support — delivered virtually for families outside the Greater Ann Arbor area. Geography is no longer a barrier to the care your pet deserves.
Who Lorrie Is
Lorrie Shaw, CAHP, CHPA is one of a small number of practitioners in the country credentialed at the intersection of animal hospice, palliative care advocacy, pet loss and grief support, and fear-free handling. With more than two decades in pet care and over a decade focused specifically on senior, geriatric, and hospice patients, she is the person families describe as the first one they call when something is wrong — and the one who tells them the truth.
In person
Greater Ann Arbor
Greater Ann Arbor, which includes Dexter, Chelsea, Pinckney, Ypsilanti, Canton, Northville, Plymouth, Whitmore Lake, Howell, Brighton, South Lyon & surrounding areas
Virtually
Anywhere in the U.S.
Full hospice and palliative care support delivered virtually — for families anywhere in the United States.
Available seven days a week. 24/7 crisis support for enrolled hospice families at higher plan levels
If something here resonated — reach out. You don’t need the right words, a plan, or any certainty about what comes next.
Just start the conversation.
The best first step is an email.
When families first reach out, they’re often overwhelmed and carrying a lot. Email gives you the space to share what’s happening at your own pace — and gives Lorrie the space to respond thoughtfully, with real information, rather than reactively. It’s how this works best, from the very first contact.
Lorrie personally reads and responds to every email — typically within a couple of hours, and always the same day. You will not be waiting.