Loving and caring for your animal can become stressful and daunting at times particularly when they have behavioral issues. Foster Hospital for Small Animals Behavioral Health Department is offering a 5-session support group for humans whose animals have challenging behaviors such as excessive vocalization, fears and phobias, anxiety, aggression, inappropriate elimination, compulsive disorders, and other behavioral issues.

These sessions will be held on Zoom every other week for one hour with a Veterinary Social Worker and a Veterinary tech/nurse who specializes in behavioral issues at the Foster Hospital for Small Animals. The support group is free and confidential. Its goals are to help the human caretaker by giving emotional support, reduce social isolation by providing a peer group, as well as provide resources and useful information. The final objective is to improve the caretakers and their animal’s quality of life while offering hope and a fresh perspective.

Please contact Eric Richman, LICSW to join the group at eric.richman@tufts.edu, or call 508-887-4371. He will do an initial interview to answer questions and provide a Zoom link.

Starting on March 26 the sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 6-7 PM.

The sessions will continue on April 2, April 30, May 14 and May 28.

Outline for behavioral group sessions (Pet owners can join at any session.):

• Tuesday, March 26 from 6-7PM: Welcome and definitions of behavioral issues. Getting to know participant’s dogs and their humans.
• Tuesday, April 2 from 6-7PM: Getting to understand more about your dog’s issues, behaviors, and temperament. Accepting dogs needs and dealing with loss of hope for what you thought your dog would be like.
• Tuesday, April 30 from 6-7PM: Using resources such as trainers, behavioral education, medication and equipment. Exploring how to get support as a caregiver.
• Tuesday, May 14 from 6-7PM: Dealing with own feelings of guilt, isolation and fear. Addressing Caretaker burnout and dealing with family and friends around relational stress regarding your dog’s behavior.
• Tuesday, May 28 from 6-7PM: Group termination, and review.