Kim Butler Speaks at PLPA College

Losing a pet is unfortunately, a part of life. We know that at some point, our pet will no longer be with us. It is a time that is filled with grief and sadness. In many cases, it is every bit as painful as facing the loss of a human family member. Having grown up in the funeral business, I saw how my parents and grandparents dealt compassionately with families who were going through the worst possible times in their life. 

It takes a special person to be a funeral director. But it also takes a special person to help pet owners through the loss of a beloved animal. I’ve lost pets and it is a very emotional time and one that can be made a bit easier by a caring pet loss professional. I got to meet a group of these special people at the Pet Loss Professionals Alliance (PLPA) College in Indian Wells, CA, last week.

The PLPA is a committee under the International Cemetery, Crematory and Funeral Association umbrella. As a funeral industry leader, the ICCFA established the PLPA to focus solely on pet death care services, ethics, and standards. Thorough education and standards of care driven by the association are modeling the services provided for human loved ones, and the same level of care that pet parents give their beloved pets.

The PLPA’s mission statement commits to being an educational resource to its members. I was very fortunate to be part of the most recent education event, where I presented to the members. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet new friends and people that could relate to my childhood experiences of being raised in the funeral business, as well as being the co-founder of a pet related business and a pet parent.

The Pet Loss Professionals Alliance has a Facebook page where you can connect with the organization and find out more about pet loss professionals. Thank you to the PLPA for the opportunity to speak at your education event and I hope to speak to you again.