About The Hardest Goodbye Podcast

We believe love never dies. Even when our beloved animals are no longer physically by our sides, the bonds we share with them remain – enduring and transformative.

Yet in a culture uncomfortable with death, pet loss grief is too often overlooked or minimized, leaving people to navigate one of life’s most devastating experiences without the understanding or support they deserve. That changes now.

The Hardest Goodbye is a podcast about grief, healing, and the animals who changed us. Through thought-provoking discussions with experts, caregivers, and fellow animal lovers, we explore the extraordinary human-animal bond, the complexities of loss, and ways to heal.

Instead of traditional seasons, the podcast features in-depth series exploring topics such as euthanasia, anticipatory grief, memorialization, and the science and spirituality of the human-animal bond.

And if you’re expecting a podcast that’s all tears, doom, and gloom, think again. There will be laughter, wonder, fascinating discoveries, and a healthy appreciation for life’s absurdities – because the lives we shared with our animals were never defined by grief alone.

After all, healing isn’t about “moving on.” It’s about learning to carry their love and light everywhere we go – and discovering that even the hardest goodbye doesn’t have to mean the end of our story together.

Our Mission

At The Hardest Goodbye, we believe that even our deepest grief can become a powerful force for healing, connection, and change.

Our mission is threefold: to support pet parents and families navigating the heartbreak of loss; to uplift the veterinary professionals and caregivers who are carrying the weight of countless goodbyes; and to transform our collective grief into meaningful action for shelter animals who desperately need our love and protection.

Honoring the animals we’ve lost can also mean making the world a better place for those still waiting to be loved.

Support pet parents and families

navigating the heartbreak of loss.

Uplift the veterinary professionals and caregivers

who are carrying the weight of countless goodbyes.

Transform our collective grief into meaningful action

for shelter animals who desperately need our love and protection.

Listen now

About Your Host

Courtney Wennerstrom is a certified pet loss grief specialist through the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement (APLB), a certified companion-animal end-of-life doula through the University of Vermont’s continuing education program, an educator, and a lifelong animal advocate.

With a background in literature, higher education, and animal welfare, Courtney brings an interdisciplinary perspective to her work, exploring how psychology, history, storytelling, and cultural traditions shape our understanding of love, mortality, and the remarkable relationships we share with other animals.

She serves as a weekly grief support chat host for the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement, combining intellectual curiosity, empathy, and a healthy sense of humor in her approach to grief and healing.

At home in Colorado, Courtney shares her life with her husband, two spirited huskies, Sasha and Saint, and two cats, Georgia and Eddie – all of whom are quite certain they’re in charge.

Meet Our Team

Hailey

Henry

Lilly

Listen now

This pet loss grief podcast is dedicated to the gorgeous, spirited dogs and cats who now wait for Courtney on the other side—including Kodiac, Leche, Mosley, Mojo, and Maddie—whose love lives in her very cells and continues to inspire this work.