Local Pet Remembrance Day
Nikki Hospice Foundation, North Bay, hold 15th annual event
Losing a loved pet is always a difficult situation, no matter if it’s a dog, cat, bird or a hamster to name a few. However, the Nikki Hospice Foundation and Humane Society of North Bay tried to make it a little easier Thursday night by asking people to come together and grieve at the 15th Annual Pet Remembrance Candle Lighting.
Approximately 50 people showed up at Skyview Memorial Lawn Garden Chapel in Vallejo to reflect on their pets that had passed away recently or years and decades ago. Near the end of the event, lights were turned out so only the candles could be seen in the room. One by one, over numerous sniffles, names were called, “Pixie, Morgan, Panther, Jordan, Grandpa Patches, Andre, Mozart,” as well as many others.
Kathryn D. Marocchino,
president of the Nikki Hospice Foundation, spoke at the event and offered condolences.
‘We’re not letting go, we’re actually still hanging on to them (the pets),” Marrocchino said in her speech. “Do we move on? Do we get through this grief? Of course we do, but now, we need to grieve and we need to give ourselves time to heal … Reading the names out loud, it’s a wonderful way of honoring them and those names will linger throughout time.”
Marocchino has been involved during all 15 years of the event and said it started in 2006 at Cal Maritime University, before it recently moved to Skyview.
The Nikki Hospice Foundation for Pets is the nation’s first nonprofit organization devoted to the provision of home hospice care for terminally ill or dying companion animals and was founded by Marocchino.
“We realized we needed for people to come together for their pets, but in a non judgmental specific way,” Marocchino said. “We have people come all over the Bay Area for this. In all honesty, when you see people calling out the names it’s extraordinarily powerful. It’s kind of like what goes on at the 9/11 memorial each year.”
Vallejo Mayor Bob Sampayan, was at the event for the fourth straight year and gave a speech. The mayor talked about how at age 11 he was hunting with his father and uncle and killed a deer.
“This deer was so majestic, so beautiful and I shot it,” Sampayan said. “And I haven’t been able to hunt since and I developed a huge friendship with all our furry friends since then.”
Sampayan said this year he was especially grieving the loss of his dog, Morgan, who he picked up at a shelter years ago in Palo Alto and had for 15 years.
“I got there and he looked at me with these great big eyes, and he tilted his head and looked at me,” Sampayan said, fighting back tears. “They tell you not to stick your fingers in the cage but I did it anyway and he’s licking and kissing them and I decided right then, I’m bringing him home with me. I named him Morgan and he was truly my buddy. He went everywhere with me.”
David Grumio was at the event with his family, including his 7-yearold daughter Isadora Grumio. They were both grieving for the loss of their dog, Pixie.
“He was a very active dog; we had her 10 years,” David said. “This event tonight was very cathartic.”
Isadora fought through tears to describe her dog.
“She always barked. I liked when we would go for walks with her and she would start barking at other dogs,” Isadora said.
Reverend Cynthia Olson also spoke at the event.
“Not everyone initially knows the effect a pet can have on us and sometimes we’re surprised ourselves,” Olson said. “In this time of remembrance we see comfort in our common share of love. It’s hard to get mad at things when a pet snuggles up next to you, or on top of you or when it’s running full speed at you with its paws coming up high and it leaves you with a kiss while sometimes knocking you down. We do learn from them. They open our hearts in a way to feel companionship.”