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I WALK ALONE

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  Alan Blain Cunningham BS, RRT, MS, PhD, DVM, MD, certified pet loss grief counselor, and Best of State Utah Veterinarian 2004, animal care and community service 2005, and animal care 2006. Dr. Cunningham recently completed medical school and plans on pursuing a residency in home hospice care. Presently he is in the Masters of Public Health Program at the University of Utah. He currently works as a relief veterinarian. Additionally he heads a state pet loss and grief hot line and support group.

Dr. Cunningham also is a member of the National Veterinary Team, a FEMA affiliate, and helps to provide medical assistance to animals throughout the country in times of natural disasters. His most recent event was Hurricane Katrina. He also actively promotes "Compassion and Choices" or "End of Life Choices" for humans and is the Utah state president for that organization. Additionally he is on the board of directors for "club vision" which promotes social activities for the visually impaired. He also volunteers as a reader at the blind center.

Dr. Cunningham is the author of several books mostly concerning pet loss and grief support. These books include: Sleeping With Angels, On Angels Wings, Small Wonders, On Angels Wings II, Unspoken Messages, Fragile Tears, Inside This Fragile Tear, My Little Angel Girl, Stepping Stone Journey, Goodbye My Good Friend, and Silent Voices. He is presently completing work on four other books entitled Autumn Leaves, Doctors In Fur Coats, and Rainbow Tears. He has also produced, written, and performed for several musical CD's that accompany many of his books.

Additionally he promotes the cause of the Vietnam War Dogs and has campaigned for commemorative postage stamps and memorials for these animals for several years. As a result of his efforts a memorial has been erected in memory of the Vietnam War Dogs at the Utah State Veteran's Memorial Park for Memorial Day this year. This will be one of a handful of such monuments in the country, but is the first to be allowed on a veteran's cemetery.

Dr. Cunningham hopes to continue working actively as a veterinarian, medical doctor, author, singer/songwriter, animal activist, and end of life choices advocate.

Achievement

Dr. Alan Cunningham is a licensed veterinarian and certified pet loss grief counselor. As a veterinarian he recognizes the need for proper counseling and support of people that have lost animal companions due to injury, sickness or euthanasia. The death of a beloved animal companion can be very stressful. And many people feel that they are alone in their grief. Social workers label this as disenfranchised grief. Unfortunately this grief is often met by the public with statements such as "It's just an animal – get over it, or go buy another animal to replace the one that died." When in fact the animal is very much an important family member or significant companion and can't be replaced by simply buying another animal.
       The individuals need to realize that there are other people who feel similar pain with the loss of a dear animal companion, and that other animal lovers are available to candidly share these precious feelings with. A former horse owner, Margo Ungricht, of Lehi, who lost her beloved equine wrote: "Thank you so much, Alan, for the wonderful way you've helped us through this. I don't think we'd have done anywhere as well if it hadn't been for you." Another pet owner from Provo, Doctor and Lt. Colonel Bob Anderson, stated: "Thanks again for being you and being there with our Suessi, my wife Bonnie, and me through our dark night of the soul. You sure scored some big time divine points on the adventure!"

To promote this cause Dr. Cunningham has developed a state pet loss hot line, support group, and web site http://www.petangelsutah.com. His main emphasis is to listen. He states that most people are capable of coming to a healthy resolution but that they just need someone to share their feelings with. Active listening on the counselor's part confirms to the grieving pet owner that their feelings are valid and important and that with time they can constructively manage the pain and loss.

Dr. Cunningham realizes that many clients feel more comfortable about sharing their grief of animal companion loss with the veterinary technicians rather than with the doctors. The clients feel that the technicians are more approachable. As a result, he has trained veterinary technicians in grief counseling. Furthermore, he has lectured veterinary technician students at the Salt Lake Community College in pet loss grief counseling.

According to Dr. Cunningham, many youth first experience death through the loss of a pet companion. Their grief is very real and sometimes debilitating. Yet counseling for this important area of youth development has not been provided in the school system. Dr. Cunningham visits public schools and shares pet loss stories with the children and gives them guidance in the grieving process. He was asked by Gail Johnson and Georgia Loutensock of the Utah State Office of Education to provide reading material to help children and youth with animal companion loss. As a result he wrote Fragile Tears: Stories and Guidance for Youth on the Passing Away of Beloved Animal Companions.

He also included a CD of music entitled "Fragile Tears" that he compiled with the aid of other musicians from across the country. He personally wrote and performed several of the songs that provide reflective background music and healing comfort to the listener. The books with the CD's are placed in all the Utah elementary school libraries.

In return Dr. Cunningham asked the children to sign petitions for commemorative postage stamps and memorials for the War Dogs of Vietnam. Several thousand names were signed and given to the United States Postmaster General. Many of the schools even had a Vietnam Day and educated the children about the Vietnam War and the service of the war dogs. The children expressed excitement for the stamps and memorials. A memorial for the Vietnam War Dogs is in the process for placement at the Utah Veteran's Memorial Park for this Memorial Day.

The children also shared stories of lost pet companions which Dr. Cunningham is compiling in a book entitled Rainbow Tears. Dr. Cunningham personally finances these projects by working extra shifts as a relief veterinarian.

Nadine Quarnberg, at Mountain Ridge Jr. High School wrote: "I wanted to thank you personally for the books that you donated to the school. I have a dog that is over seventeen years old and he isn't doing well. I have been trying so hard to know what to do. I love him so much. Receiving these books was like an answer to my prayers."

And finally an English teacher at Lehi Junior High shared: "I learned tonight that one of my former students recently lost her dog. I told her mother about your work and book, and she desperately wants to get the information about grief counseling for their daughter. I'm going to give her a copy of the grief paper you gave me and also one of the books you gave me. It looks like your kindness has spread, Dr. Cunningham."

Innovation

In addition to the pet loss hot line and support group, grief counseling, and school presentations; Dr. Cunningham has written several books to help people with the loss of animal companions. Initially he wrote Sleeping With Angels: A Veterinarian's Sacred Bond of Animal Companionship. The book initiated enough public interest and support that over 4,500 copies were provided to veterinarians at the Western States Veterinary Conference. Many of those books have been placed with veterinary clinics.

These books have provided great comfort to many people. Former staff sergeant, Bernie Fox of San Bernardino, shared: "Thank you so much for the copy of your book Sleeping With Angels. I couldn't put it down. You really have a way with words. I laughed and I cried. It was priceless and only a dog lover could appreciate it. I really loved it-you're one only of the good people left."

Internationally famous French horn player, Thomas Bacon, from Houston wrote: "Dr. Cunningham takes us on an autobiographical journey with the animals in his life from four years of age to present veterinarian. In a forthright style he describes the tribulations of his life as a young veterinary student trying to follow both the system and his conscience.

A gentle soul, with a level of devotion and love for his patients beyond the call, he regales us with stories about 'One Step' the one legged cockatiel, and tugs at our heart with the story of his beloved Boston Terrier 'Pug'.

This is a great book for all animal lovers, easy to read and hard to put down. I finished it the afternoon that I received it with warmth in my heart and tears in my eyes. Thank you Dr. Cunningham."

The publisher, Linda Taylor, of Scottsdale, informed: "Alan: Got a call from a woman in Cincinnati who just lost her dog. She was in her eye doctor's office and saw a copy of Sleeping With Angels and read just enough that she wanted her own copy. So she called and ordered. I put a Book Release form in the package of On Angels Wings, after telling her about it. She was desperate to get Sleeping With Angels, she is so grief stricken. The doctor told her the book was a free copy given to him. There are so many people who need books like yours."

As a result of the popularity of Sleeping With Angels many people shared their personal stories of lost animal companions with Dr. Cunningham. He suggested that writing about companion animals helps to provide comfort and gives a lasting memorial and tribute to the deceased animal. Consequently enough stories were submitted from across the country, Canada and Europe to compile five more books On Angels Wings, On Angels Wings II, Fragile Tears, Inside This Fragile Tear, and Rainbow Tears (coming). Each of the books also have poems and personal stories and information that Dr. Cunningham has written. The last three books contain reflective CD's with music Dr. Cunningham has compiled from artists across the country along with personal pieces that he has written and performed.

Included with each story is an artist's drawing of the animal. Dr. Cunningham has produced some of the art himself but most of it is commissioned to other artists, particularly young artists such as college students that need a chance at publicity and having their work published. The portraits are then given to the authors as a memorial to the memory of their beloved companion and also as a show of appreciation from Dr. Cunningham for their heartfelt stories. He also uses the animal portraits at art shows as a means to generate public awareness on animal companion death and grief. Interest in his books has been generated in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Many pet loss support groups and pet disposal businesses use them for their clients.

Contributors to these books have expressed: "Enclosed is my personal story about my beloved Miniature Schnauzer named Bennie." Francies Lampert of California continued, "I hope you will enjoy his story. I want to thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to have Bennie's story published in your book about pet loss. It will be a wonderful tribute to Bennie. Just being able to share his special story with other people will be an honor."

Another contributor, Leslie Menard, of Seattle, added: "I've been thinking about honoring my little dog, Annie, with a story ever since I lost her and it's taken a while to form the words. Grief is intimate and excruciating and I did not want to tell Annie's story under that cloud. I think the gift of a book of stories to grieving pet owners is a generous and loving idea. Grief by nature is a selfish emotion and to write about Annie helped me step outside my own loss and remember why I loved her so much."
Quality

Besides the pet loss grief hot line, training veterinarian technicians about grief counseling, teaching youth about pet loss, the art shows, the CD's and the books about lost animal companions, Dr. Cunningham has published several articles in national and state veterinary magazines and newsletters.
  A brief sketch about a dog named Yoshi that he euthanized was published in "The Veterinary Forum", which is a nationally recognized veterinary magazine. He has also contributed ethical columns about animal euthanasia and "convenience" euthanasia. He has implemented a new veterinary care service of making personal house calls to euthanize animals in the comfort of their own home. He works alongside a private crematorium company to help provide meaningful disposal of the deceased animal. Moreover, he provides follow up grief counseling for the animal owners.

On the human side of euthanasia Dr. Cunningham volunteers as an advocate for "compassion and choices" which is a nationally recognized program dedicated to ensuring choice and dignity at the end of human life. He presently is the state president of this organization and has pioneered an active nationally recognized Utah Chapter.

In addition, he volunteers time to AIDS education and awareness. He recognizes that this worldwide disease has become a pandemic and that people have become complacent about it. He also visits with terminally ill AIDS patients and shares time with them when others desert them.

Moreover he campaigns for a national monument and commemorative postage stamps for animals that have served our country as valiant wartime soldiers. He encourages school children and veterinary clients to sign petitions for this endeavor and has mailed several thousand signatures to Washington D.C. to promote this cause. With the support of Senator Orrin Hatch several national leaders such as Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Senate armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner, and the Postmaster General Potter have responded.

  Dr. Cunningham continues to ask citizens to write to their political leaders on behalf of the dogs of war. More than 4,000 dogs served in Vietnam. Less than 200 returned home. At the end of the war they were considered equipment and were left behind or euthanized. The dog handlers wanted to bring them home. They owned their lives to them.

See new book Silent Voices: Stories & Recognition for War Dogs of Vietnam & Canine Soldiers Today

On May of 2003, as a result of Dr. Cunningham's urging, Governor Mike Leavitt declared Memorial Day "also be set aside to remember and to honor our fallen service heroes in Utah." The Tribune also honored the war dogs by printing "the letter of the week" in the Sunday editorial section, which Dr. Cunningham wrote in tribute to the canine war heroes. He displays booths at various civic and veterinary conventions about the War Dogs of Vietnam. He is looking forward to the construction of a War Dog Memorial at the Utah Veteran's Memorial Park.

Furthermore, the major Utah newspapers have added a weekly "Pet Remembrance" section partially at the request and encouragement of Dr. Cunningham. Additionally, he gives community presentations about animal companion loss and the grief process. He is a member of the National Veterinary Team and assists with animal welfare at the sites of natural disasters. Moreover he has written and provided all the state veterinary clinics and several major animal shelters with grief information pamphlets to assist and support their clients in the grieving process from the loss of a beloved animal companion. He realizes that many people won't adopt another animal until they have resolved the loss of a previous pet.

In June 2003, Doug Robinson, award winning Deseret Morning News Columnist and contributor to several of Dr. Cunningham's books, honored him in his weekly column "Utahn hog wild about patients." "If there was ever a guy whose heart turns to mush every time he sees an animal in pain it's this guy. When his beloved dog Pug died last year, he wrote a book – Sleeping With Angels. That generated an outpouring of stories from other people whose animal companions had died, which led to a second book – On Angels Wings a recently released collection of short stories from veterinarians and bereaved pet owners about their own experience with the loss of an animal friend. This is how passionate he was about the project: He spent more than $40,000 of his money to publish, illustrate and distribute the books.

Cunningham recently became one of 20 veterinarians awarded a scholarship to (human) medical school as part of an international program using doctors with a background in animal diseases to help human patients in third-world countries. 'I couldn't pass it up,' he says. 'I'll do both – I'll always be a vet."