About / Methodology

    Where this comes from

    Nothing here is anonymous wisdom. The scoring, framing, and crisis routing on Rainbow Meadow are built on credited public scholarship and clinical practice.

    Primary sources

    HHHHHMM Quality of Life Scale

    Dr. Alice Villalobos, DVM

    The five-domain scoring our QoL check-in is structured around (Hurt, Hunger, Hydration, Hygiene, Happiness, Mobility, More good days than bad).

    IAAHPC End-of-Life Care Guidelines

    International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care

    Hospice and palliative-care framing for the Preparing surface and the Vet Handoff Kit.

    Four Tasks of Mourning

    J. William Worden, PhD

    Used as the structural backbone for Grief Support modules and prompts.

    Pet Loss Bereavement Standards

    Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement (APLB)

    Counselor referrals, hotline coverage, and language guidance.

    Cornell Pet Loss Support Hotline

    Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

    Crisis hotline reference surfaced on Grief Support and in the Companion Chat.

    What we are

    • • A grief-support companion built around named, credited frameworks.
    • • A way to organize what you are noticing about your pet over time.
    • • A private place to keep memories, dates, and reflections.
    • • A handoff system that fits inside a vet, shelter, or hospice workflow.

    What we are not

    • • A diagnostic tool. We never tell you "it's time."
    • • A replacement for veterinary or licensed mental-health care.
    • • A national provider directory. Today's curated list is Central Massachusetts.
    • • A crisis line. For US mental-health crises, call or text 988.

    Geographic scope

    Our curated provider list — hospice vets, in-home euthanasia, cremation, aquamation, grief counselors — is verified for Central Massachusetts. Outside that region, we surface vetted national directories (IAAHPC, Lap of Love, AAHA, APLB) and pet-loss hotlines (Cornell, Tufts, WSU). We re-verify regional providers on a six-month cadence.

    We expand regions deliberately, with a local champion for each, rather than pasting in a national database we cannot maintain.

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