Enid Traisman in 2016.Uplift in times of loss
A pioneer in her field, Enid Traisman helped thousands of people cope with grief during her 33-year career as the leader of the DoveLewis Pet Loss Support Program. Her validation of deep heartfelt bonds guided pet owners through the healing process.
When pet owners lose their beloved animal companions, the pain can be devastating. That’s why Enid Traisman (MSW ’86) founded the DoveLewis Pet Loss Support Program to offer people the compassion and resources that carry pet owners through a difficult time.
Understanding that sadness is simply a reflection of the love that owners felt for their pets, Traisman believed that with some support and validation, the human spirit could begin to cope.
“I know they are going to heal, and I know grief is a normal process,” she said.
Connect Disparate Dots
In 1986, Traisman was willing to stake her career on helping people find strength and build resilience after the death of a pet even before the veterinary community widely acknowledged pet loss grief.
During her master's in social work program at PSU, Traisman saw the importance of the grieving process while working at Kaiser Permanente’s neonatal intensive care unit. There she learned about one of the nation’s first pet loss support programs on the east coast. Shortly after graduation, she took the concept of launching a Pet Loss Support Program to several veterinarians who passed on the idea before DoveLewis, a Portland-based nonprofit emergency animal hospital, saw its merit.
Upon opening, Traisman’s pioneering program was only the third of its kind in the country.
Change Regional Response
In the 33 years before her 2019 retirement, Traisman grew the program to include free support groups and a variety of other resources. An accomplished glass artist, Traisman created memorial art therapy workshops for grieving pet owners and DoveLewis staff, to help them process the trauma they encounter in the workplace. Traisman also authored “My Personal Pet Remembrance Journal” to guide pet owners in recording loving memories of their pets.
Although she no longer spends her days at DoveLewis, Traisman’s impact lives on. Her colorful fused glass pieces remain on the clinic’s walls, and the Pet Loss Support Program still helps both the public and veterinary professionals. Traisman’s insights on the emotional connections between people and their pets and her acknowledgment of the deep sorrow that accompanies a pet’s passing changed the region’s response to pet loss.
“It’s all about the bond, not about the species,” Traisman said. “I’ve seen that time and again.”