Animal Hospice & Palliative Care for Families — Greater Ann Arbor & Virtually Anywhere
If you’re here, you’re probably carrying something heavy. Your pet is aging, or you’ve just received a diagnosis you weren’t prepared for — and you’re trying to figure out what to do next, who to trust, and how to show up for an animal who depends entirely on you.
That’s exactly where Telos meets you.
This page will walk you through what animal hospice and palliative care actually means, what Lorrie does and doesn’t do, and what working together looks like in practice. By the time you reach the bottom, you’ll have a clear picture of whether this is the right support for you and your pet — and a straightforward way to reach out if it is.
You don’t have to have it all figured out before you get in touch. That’s what the first conversation is for.
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.
Or, book a 15-minute Zoom conversation — $35
For families who'd rather talk than type. A brief, focused conversation to share where things are, ask questions, and figure out together whether Telos is the right fit. No obligation beyond the conversation itself.
What animal hospice actually is— & what it isn't
Animal hospice is not about giving up. It’s not a last resort, and it’s not something you turn to only in the final days of a pet’s life. Animal hospice and palliative care is a philosophy of support — one that begins the moment a serious or life-limiting diagnosis is made, or when the weight of caring for an aging pet starts to feel like more than you can manage alone.
At its core, it’s about quality of life — for your pet, and for your family. It’s about making sure your pet is comfortable, that their physical and emotional needs are understood and met, and that you — as their guardian and primary caregiver — have the information, the support, and the guidance to navigate what’s ahead without being left to figure it out on your own.
A NOTE ON PALLIATIVE CARE
Palliative care and hospice care are related but distinct. Palliative care focuses on comfort and quality of life at any stage of a serious illness — it can happen alongside curative treatment. Hospice care begins when treatment is no longer the goal and the focus shifts entirely to comfort, dignity, and quality of remaining time. Both are part of what Telos provides, depending on where your pet is in their journey
Animal hospice operates within a medical framework — and that distinction matters. Your veterinarian remains the medical director of your pet’s care: they carry the ethical and legal responsibility for all medical decisions, and they direct the comfort care plan. Lorrie’s role exists within that framework, not outside it.
What Lorrie provides is the consistent, credentialed presence between veterinary appointments — the layer of support your vet simply doesn’t have the bandwidth to offer, even when they want to. That means being the eyes and ears on the ground: recognizing when your pet is experiencing pain, nausea, breathlessness, or a sudden change in condition; guiding you on when to administer medications your vet has already prescribed for those symptoms; and knowing when what you’re observing warrants an urgent call to your veterinary team or a visit to an emergency clinic.
It also means understanding the dying process itself — not as a medical event, but as a natural one — and being able to distinguish expected changes from symptoms that aren’t being adequately managed. That distinction is one most families cannot make on their own, and it’s one of the most important things Lorrie brings to your pet’s care team. When something needs veterinary attention, she’ll tell you clearly — and help you articulate exactly what’s happening so your vet has the full picture.
What Lorrie cannot do is diagnose, treat, or alter a treatment plan. What she can do is make sure nothing goes unnoticed, nothing goes unarticulated, and you are never left wondering whether what you’re seeing is normal — or something that needs immediate attention.
Who Lorrie is —and why that matters for your pet
Lorrie Shaw has spent more than two decades embedded in the pet care industry — close enough to see, with clarity, what families navigating serious illness and end of life were not getting. That observation didn’t just shape her perspective. It built her practice.
She 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 — a combination that reflects the full scope of what families actually need when a pet is seriously ill or dying. These aren’t honorary titles. Each represents rigorous, specialized training that directly informs how she shows up for your pet and your family.
Certified Animal Hospice Practitioner (CAHP)
Credentialed through Animal Hospice Group — graduated with honors, 2023 and completed Internship
Certified Hospice & Palliative Care Advocate (CHPA)
Among the first credentialed though the IAAHPC's newly launched program, 2024
Pet Loss & Grief Companioning Certified Professional
Trained to support families through anticipatory grief and bereavement.
Fear Free Certified Professional
Trained to recognize and minimize fear, anxiety and stress in animals during every interaction
Certified Professional Pet Sitter (CPPS)
Active credential through Pet Sitters International — the foundation of 20 + years in pet care
Certified in Pet First Aid & CPR
Trained to recognize and respond to medical emergencies in animals
Lorrie has also completed a human death doula training program — not to practice in the human space, but because when she began this work, no equivalent training existed in animal hospice. So much of what we understand about the animal dying process is drawn from human hospice philosophy and practice, and she needed to understand it at that depth to serve families well. That foundation informs everything: her understanding of the dying process, her ability to support families through anticipatory grief, and her capacity to be a steady, informed presence when the hardest moments arrive.
“Families tell me I’m the first person they call when something is wrong. I don’t take that lightly. It means showing up prepared, present, and honest — every single time.” — Lorrie
How Lorrie serves on your veterinary team
One of the most common concerns families have when they first reach out is whether bringing in outside support will complicate their relationship with their vet. It won’t. In fact, the opposite tends to be true.
Veterinarians — even exceptional ones — are working within significant constraints. Appointment windows are short. Caseloads are heavy. The time it takes to walk a family through the full emotional and practical landscape of a serious diagnosis, answer every question, explain what the coming weeks or months might look like, and check in regularly simply isn’t available in a standard clinical setting. That’s not a failing. It’s a structural reality of veterinary medicine.
Telos exists in the space that reality creates. Lorrie works collaboratively with your veterinary team — with your vet serving as the medical director of your pet’s hospice and palliative care, making all medical decisions and directing the comfort care plan. Lorrie’s role is to support that plan from the non-medical side: observing, communicating, coordinating, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks between appointments.
WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN PRACTICE
When your pet’s condition changes — when you notice something that doesn’t seem right, or when symptoms appear that you don’t know how to interpret — Lorrie is the person you call. She can help you understand what you’re observing, guide you on whether it’s time to administer a medication your vet has already prescribed for that situation, and determine whether what’s happening warrants an urgent call to your veterinary team or a visit to an emergency clinic.
She can also help you articulate what’s happening clearly and precisely — so that when you do speak with your vet, they have the full picture. That kind of informed, accurate communication makes your vet’s job easier and your pet’s care better.
Lorrie has worked alongside some exceptional veterinary teams in this community and has enormous respect for the work they do. The trust you have in your vet — and the relationship you’ve built with them — is something she actively supports and protects. Her presence in your pet’s care isn’t a replacement for that relationship. It’s what makes it more sustainable, more informed, and more effective at the times when it matters most.
What support actually looks like
Every family’s situation is different — and the support Telos provides reflects that. What follows is an honest picture of what working together actually involves, organized around the arc of how most families experience it.
Understanding & planning
Getting clear on where you are, what’s ahead, and how to prepare
This is where the work begins. Lorrie reviews your pet’s medical history and current condition, conducts a thorough quality of life assessment, and helps you understand — in plain language — what your pet’s diagnosis means, what the progression is likely to look like, and what decisions you may face along the way. A care plan is built around your pet’s specific needs and your family’s values, with built-in flexibility to adapt as things change. You leave this phase knowing what to expect — and knowing you have a plan for when it does.
Day to day support
The consistent, informed presence between veterinary appointments
This is the layer of support most families didn’t know they needed until they have it. Regular check-ins, ongoing monitoring of your pet’s comfort and condition, and a credentialed person to call when something changes or something doesn’t seem right. Lorrie helps you interpret what you’re observing, guides you on when to administer prescribed medications for specific symptoms, and helps you determine when what you’re seeing requires veterinary attention — and when it doesn’t. Nothing goes unnoticed. Nothing goes unarticulated. And you are never left wondering alone.
Coordination & communication
The connective tissue that holds everything together
As your pet’s condition evolves, the number of moving parts increases. Lorrie coordinates communication between you and your veterinary team, helps you prepare for appointments so your vet has the clearest possible picture of what’s been happening, and facilitates the practical aspects of end of life care — including humane euthanasia, aftercare, and memorialization — so that when the time comes, you’re not scrambling to figure out logistics in the middle of grief. Everything is anticipated, discussed, and planned in advance, at a pace that feels right for your family.
Grief & emotional support
For you — because this is hard, and you matter too
Anticipatory grief — the grief that begins long before a loss — is one of the least acknowledged and most exhausting parts of caring for a seriously ill or aging pet. It sits alongside the practical demands of caregiving and compounds everything. As a Pet Loss & Grief Companioning Certified Professional, Lorrie provides consistent emotional support throughout the process — not just at the end. That means having someone who understands what you’re carrying, who can help you move through it without being swallowed by it, and who remains a resource for you in bereavement when your pet’s life has ended.
The depth and frequency of support across each of these areas depends on the plan you and Lorrie build together. Details on Integrated Support Plans — including in-person options for pet hospice, palliative and end-of-life care support in Greater Ann Arbor families and virtual options available anywhere — are outlined on the plans pages.
When, where & how to access support
One of the most common things families say when they first reach out is: “I wasn’t sure if it was too early to call.”
It’s almost never too early. In fact, the families who are best supported are those who connect with Telos at the beginning of a diagnosis — or even before one, when a pet is simply aging and the demands of care are starting to increase.
That said, it’s also never too late. If your pet is already in the late stages of illness and you’re only just finding this page — reach out. There is always something meaningful that can be done.
WHEN
At any stage
From the moment of diagnosis is made, through the progression of illness, to end of life and beyond into bereavement. Early connection produces the best outcomes — but no stage is too late.
WHERE
In person & virtually
In person support is available for families in the Greater Ann Arbor area. Virtual support is available to families anywhere in the United States.
HOW
It starts with a conversation
Every support relationship begins with an initial consultation — a dedicated session to understand your pet's situation, your family's needs, and what kind of support makes most sense.
THE INITIAL CONSULTATION
Before anything else, we get to know each other.
The initial consultation is conducted virtually — for all families, regardless of location. It’s a dedicated, unhurried session where Lorrie learns about your pet’s history, your family’s situation, and what you’re hoping support looks like. It’s also where you get to ask every question you’ve been carrying.
From there, if Telos feels like the right fit, you’ll move into one of the Integrated Support Plans — built around your pet’s specific needs and designed to adapt as things evolve. There’s no pressure, no obligation, and no expectation that you’ll have everything figured out before you arrive. That’s exactly what the consultation is for.
Your first step
If you’ve read this far, something here resonated. Maybe you’re not sure yet whether Telos is the right fit — that’s completely fine. Maybe you’re ready to reach out right now — that’s welcome too. Either way, the next step is the same: send an email and tell us what’s going on.
You don’t need to have the right words. You don’t need to know which plan makes sense or whether your situation qualifies. You just need to start the conversation — and Lorrie will take it from there.
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.
Or, book a 15-minute Zoom conversation — $35
For families who'd rather talk than type. A brief, focused conversation to share where things are, ask questions, and figure out together whether Telos is the right fit. No obligation beyond the conversation itself.
Not because the situation isn’t devastating. Because you are.