Good day my fellow pet parents!
We meet on the 4th Tuesday of the Month, 6:30 - 8 p.m., at The English Tea Shoppe, 6877 Bandera Rd., San Antonio, TX 78238 (In Leon Valley).

Sappy

Losing a precious animal friend can be extremely difficult. Our furry friends are a HUGE part of our lives and valued members of the family. Our support group started in 2003, after losing Sappy, our beautiful Chihuahua. He was 14.


Sappy was diagnosed with bladder cancer. Let me tell you, it was the hardest thing I ever had to face. Losing him left me feeling very empty. But thanks to this support group, I've healed from a broken heart. The people who come to the group gatherings are amazing pet parents! I never feel alone when I'm surrounded by those who understand the pain that comes after the death of a pet (fur baby). They are wonderful people who loved their fur babies so much. After all, our fur kids are so much more than just pets, they are family!


We hope you find comfort in the monthly group gatherings. I know I do ... even after eight years! The monthly group gatherings are FREE to the pet parent community. Bring a photo, if you want to, we'd love to see a picture of your wonderful fur baby!

ScheduleTuesday, October 25
Tuesday, November 22
Tuesday, December 27

9th Annual Tribute to Tails Candlelight Memorial
Saturday, December 3, 2011
6 p.m.
St. Francis Episcopal Church
4242 Bluemel Rd.
San Antonio, Texas


For more information about our support group, please call 210-216-0920.


Watch story about our support group:
http://bit.ly/nLKWdu


Join us on Facebook:
facebook.com/Tribute2TailsSanAntonio


Follow us on Twitter:
twitter.com/Tribute2TailsSA

Healing happens in the morning

Yes, healing does happens in the morning! I can remember the day my husband and I had to say farewell to our little Chihuahua Sappy. It was such a horrible experience. Driving Sappy to the vet to do something I never thought I could do.

Sappy was diagnosed with bladder cancer in early June 2003. When I got the news, it was like a ton of bricks hit me. How could this be? My little dog has what? Oh my gosh! Was I dreaming or was this real!? It was real. The grieving kicked in. The vet kept talking, and all I could do is look at Sappy's eyes stare into mine. I could hear him speak into my heart, "Mommy, it'll be OK. God is with us, remember? God is with us!" He helped to calm me, and he also reminded me of our God who has promised to never leave us or forsake us.

After the vet was done talking to us, we walked out of the clinic in disbelief. I carried my little white longhaired, 6 pound dog in my arms and sat in the car in silence. I felt numb and very sad. For the next three months, I grieved. God allowed me to love Sappy for three months from the diagnosis. I kissed him more than usual. I had long conversations with him about Heaven. And, he listened. Sappy was extremely special.

So on Monday, August 4, 2003, with shaky knees and sweaty palms, I carried my little Sappy boy into the vet's clinic to help send him safely home (Heaven). It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. He quietly fell asleep and ran into eternity with God. He was ready. He knew God. There wasn't one day we never talked about God. My fur baby is with God now. :)

I miss him so very much, and the tears are rolling down my face as I write in my blog. And, even after crying for several months, healing came! I still remember him and I'll never forget him ... NEVER!!!!! But, God has healed my broken heart enough to allow for me to love another dog. He's not Sappy, but he is very wonderful too. I adopted another fur baby in honor of Sappy. This little dog has helped me grieve and love again!

My Sappy: I will love you, forever! And, I will see you again in Heaven. That's a promise from God.

After a night of crying, healing came in the morning!

The 8th Annual Tribute to Tails Candlelight Memorial was a great success! Pet parents from across San Antonio participated in this amazing event. Pet parents from as far away as El Paso joined us as we celebrated our furry friends of yesterday! Plus, many pet parents brought their animal friends of today with them. It was a really beautiful event. Hope you can join us next year. Stay tuned for details for the 2011 event.

Check out the video produced by Robbin Cresswell, local photojournalist, who captured this event beautifully with her talented lens.

Click on the link:

http://animoto.com/play/A3E4kFwqUvSvpyZTjauQfw?utm_content=main_link

Special thanks to:

Cathy Rosenthal

Animal Advocate/Author of the Pet Pundit, Pet Columnist for San Antonio Express-News

Tom McGoldrick

Paws in Heaven Crematory

Sattler, Texas

Karrie Kern

One World Conservation

San Antonio/Austin, Texas

Sarah and Gilbert Centeno

Local Artists, San Antonio, Texas

Robbin Cresswell

Photojournalist

San Antonio, Texas

Scott Huddleston, Jacquie Baker, Michelle Autry, Jason

St. Francis Episcopal Church

San Antonio, Texas

Pastor Clifford Shook

San Antonio, Texas

Jaylin Billig

San Antonio, Texas

Trudy and Arthur Land

San Antonio, Texas

Pamela, Carol, Jim and Travis Fink

San Antonio, Texas

Dolph and Anna Tamayo

San Antonio, Texas

Terri Ealey

San Antonio, Texas

Nora Ramirez

San Antonio, Texas

All Tribute to Tails 2010 Committee Members.

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8th Annual Tribute to Tails Candlelight Memorial - Dec. 4, 2010

SAPPY group deals with love and loss of animal friends

By Aimee Villalobos - Staff writer/Northwest Weekly

Julie Wiley will never forget her long-haired Chihuahua, Sappy, who passed away in 2003.

“It doesn't get any easier,” she said. “You love all the pets you have in your life, but with Sappy I really bonded with him through a lot, and he was the first being that I truly loved that I lost.”

After their dog's death, said Wiley, she and her husband were devastated and found themselves alone in their sadness.

“We felt like there was not a place to grieve, especially for a pet,” she said.

She decided to take action, and seven years later the S.A.P.P.Y. Pet Loss & Grief Support Group of San Antonio still meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at the English Tea Shoppe on Bandera Road. The Christian-based support group, Wiley says, pays honor to her “Sappy Wappy” with its acronym, which stands for Someone is Always Praying for Pets and You.

Wiley said many first-timers come to the group with a lot of questions.

“Is it normal that I'm grieving my pet more than, say, mom or dad?” she said. “You leave home, you grow up and start a new life and they (pets) are so much a part of your routine and life that it's okay. It's just the kind of love you had for your pet.”

Wiley said the number of members varies from month to month, but all newcomers receive a packet that includes a candle, grief and loss information as well as a rainbow ornament with the Rainbow Bridge poem, an ode to pets' place in heaven.

Wiley said many struggle with the idea of where their pets end up, something she has been through firsthand.

“I clung to my Bible and searched and asked and wrote a lot of theologians, and I believe they (pets) will see us in heaven,” she said.

Frank and Maureen Ballard have been coming to the group since 2005 when they lost Frieda, a terrier mix.

“I said, ‘We're gonna need some professional help,' Maureen Ballard said. “I burst into tears every few minutes.”

Frank Ballard said he was glad a group like this existed for him and his wife.

“Most people don't understand, and I'm thankful for this group,” he said. “How do you replace a family member? That's the way I look at it.”

Members are encouraged to share their stories and work through the grieving process together.

“The road to healing is easier if you talk about it,” Wiley said. “We're made to support one another.”

Carole Fink lost her dog Junior in 2006 and has attended meetings ever since.

“I said, ‘She's (Julie Wiley) like an angel' because nobody cares, and people think you're silly to cry over a little old dog, but she understood,” she said.

Fink said it has been a lengthy process, but she has found comfort in the group.

“Junior was like my best friend. We went everywhere together,” she said. “He was so deep in my heart. It's been three long years, but I have a new puppy.”

Wiley said people are taking a step towards healing every time they come to a meeting because they are addressing their grief.

“It's a loss. A loss is a loss,” she said. “When you lose your job, you grieve.”

Wiley said there is no timetable to healing, but it does happen.

“I'm a testament to say those million pieces (of your heart) that are crushed heal,” she said.

For more information on the S.A.P.P.Y. Pet Loss & Grief Support Group, visit http://sappypetlosssupportgroup.blogspot.com.

*SAPPY Pet Loss & Grief Support Group of San Antonio

(Since 2003)

2011 Schedule

The support group gathers on the 4th Tuesday of the Month

6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

The English Tea Shoppe

6877 Bandera Road, San Antonio, TX 78238 (in Leon Valley)

September 27

October 25

November 22

December 27

Tribute to Tails

Our 9th Annual Tribute to Tails Candlelight event, a unique ceremony honoring and celebrating the animal friends in our lives will be held on Saturday, December 3, 2011 at St. Francis Episcopal Church, 4242 Bluemel Road, San Antonio, TX. This event pays tribute to all furry friends who are no longer with us, and celebrates the animal companions in our lives today (pets are welcome to attend this event).

For more information about our support group or Tribute to Tails event, please call (210) 216-0920 or e-mail to SappyPetLoss@sbcglobal.net or Tribute2Tails@yahoo.com. Find us on Facebook! Tribute to Tails San Antonio or SAPPY Pet Loss & Grief Support Group of San Antonio.

*The support group was named for the founder's 14-year-old Chihuahua Sappy, who passed away on August 4, 2003, after a brief battle with bladder cancer.

The 7th Annual Tribute to Tails drew dozens of pet parents from across San Antonio on December 5, 2009. Pet parents filled the Parish Hall at St. Francis Episcopal Church, as they honored the memories of their cherished family pets.

Join us for the 7th Annual Tribute to Tails Candlelight Memorial

SAVE THE DATE:
Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009
6 - 7:30 p.m.
St. Francis Episcopal Church
4242 Bluemel Road
San Antonio, TX
Contact: Julie Wiley
(210) 216-0920

Free to the Community

If you have questions about our event, please call us at (210) 216-0920 or e-mail to Tribute2Tails@yahoo.com.

FEEL FREE TO DOWNLOAD THE FLIER AND SHARE WITH YOUR PET LOVER FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

Also, be sure to join "Tribute to Tails" on Facebook.