Animals have always been part of my life. Growing up, our home was filled with pets: cats, dogs, birds, and hamsters. It just didn’t feel like home without them.

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As an adult, I couldn’t wait to welcome a pet of my own. That moment came when Joey, a sweet Shih Tzu Poodle mix, made me a dog mom. My world quickly began to revolve around him, and I was happy to give him everything he needed. Joey was, simply put, the best boy.

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Two years later, Lucy came into our lives. She was six months old, painfully thin, and terrified. But Joey welcomed her with an open heart, and over time, he taught her how to be a dog. They became inseparable. Despite all the joy in the years that followed, the goodbyes came far too soon and they were among the hardest moments of my life.

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Joey passed away on December 27, 2019. Though his spirit was strong, his body could no longer keep up. We gave him a peaceful farewell at home, surrounded by love. Like many, I assumed his cremation would be handled with care. But when I asked when his ashes would be returned and was told it could take over a week, I began to ask questions. The answers I received left me feeling uneasy. I realized I had no idea what happened after I said goodbye, and that realization stayed with me.

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When Lucy’s health began to decline, I searched for a more thoughtful and transparent option. There wasn’t one. That set everything in motion.

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EVERMORE opened its doors on November 15, 2021. On December 24, Lucy passed peacefully at home. This time, I cared for her in death the way I always had in life with gentleness, dignity, and love.

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Over the next three years, EVERMORE served hundreds of families across Stratford, London, Kitchener Waterloo, and beyond. We offered gentle water cremation and meaningful memorial experiences, grounded in the belief that pets are family and should be treated as such, even after death.

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But as EVERMORE grew, so did the challenges. Despite strong community support, we encountered systemic barriers. Many local veterinary clinics preferred to act as gatekeepers for aftercare, referring only to corporate partners and restricting access to alternatives like EVERMORE . These arrangements often prioritized profit over compassion, making it harder for families to find us unless they already knew we existed.

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Rather than raise our prices or compromise our mission to compete in an industry that valued convenience over care, we made the difficult decision to step away from aftercare services.

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And so, EVERMORE AFTER was born.

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This next chapter continues our original mission in a new way, offering non-clinical support for pet families navigating grief, planning euthanasia, and making informed aftercare decisions. With no affiliations and no pressure, I now walk alongside families through one of the most vulnerable chapters of life, providing clarity, emotional support, and a space to honour the bond that never truly ends.

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I do this work in memory of Joey and Lucy and every pet who has made a house feel like home.

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Because endings matter.

And how we move through them matters too.