CANDLE

“In remembrance of our pets . . . that their soft warm light may glow forever in our hearts”

The NHFP, for the third consecutive year, will be holding an event that is being embraced by pet lovers worldwide and that has marked the beginning of a lasting and cherished tradition of compassion and caring. On Wednesday, March 5, 2008, we will be holding the Third Annual Pet Remembrance Candle Lighting in partnership with the Benicia Vallejo Humane Society. The event will take place from 7:00 to 8:00 PM in Rizza Auditorium on the campus of The California Maritime Academy, located at 200 Maritime Academy Drive, in Vallejo. The public is invited to gather in Rizza Auditorium at 6:30 PM and to bring photographs of beloved pet(s), deceased or lost. The photos will be mounted on poster boards and remain on permanent display at the Benicia Vallejo Humane Society, located at 1121 Sonoma Boulevard, in Vallejo. Those who cannot attend in person can mail their photos to BV Humane.

The ceremony will include remarks by Dr. Kathryn Marocchino, President and Founder of The NHFP; Paul Coddington, Coordinator of Volunteers at BV Humane; Stephanie Gomes, Vallejo City Council Member; and Osby Davis, Mayor of Vallejo, who will read the city's annual proclamation re-establishing March 5 as "Pet Remembrance Candle Lighting" nationwide and throughout the world. Jeanette Salinas, Social Services Manager at Kaiser Hospice Vallejo, will officiate, and Joan Hall, Celtic harpist, will provide musical accompaniment during the candle lighting ceremony and the presentation of the photographs. Maria Guevara, from Vallejo's VCAT television station, will also be videotaping the entire event, which can later be viewed at www.vcat.tv.

Please mark March 5 on your calendars as it is the official annual date for this event. Every year, we will be reminding the public of its occurrence so that pet lovers everywhere can join us for this unique and special ceremony honoring all beloved pets who have passed on, are lost, or have been separated from their families. If possible, we suggest that you consider organizing a pet memorial service in your own town or city by working in conjunction with your local humane society, SPCA or animal shelter, as we continue to do in Vallejo, California. Pet organizations seeking information on how best to coordinate such an event on their premises and/or who would like suggestions on creating special memorial rituals are welcome to email us to request materials. As these organizations begin adhering to The NHFP Pet Remembrance Candle Lighting on a yearly basis, we will be posting a listing to this page on our website.

If you cannot organize or attend a similar event in your local area, we encourage you to join us by lighting a candle in your own home or in another safe location of your choice for one hour at 7:00 PM local time on March 5, regardless of where you are in the world. We hope you will find comfort in knowing that other pet lovers worldwide will also be lighting a candle on the same date, in memory of their lost pets. Those who wish to share their thoughts about their companion animals may do so by sending us an email at info@pethospice.org. Comments will eventually be posted on a “Memory Board” that will be created on our website in the future. For more information on this special event, please email us before March 5 of each year.