22 | DECEMBER 10 • 2020 

H

e had a human name. 
And for Jill and 
Mitchell Solomon of 
Farmington Hills, losing their 
dog, Danny, to cancer was like 
losing a family member.
The 12-year-old Dalmatian 
was a rescue dog, a loyal com-
panion who was part of their 
daily lives for more than a 
decade. He underwent radia-
tion treatments, but the cancer 
was aggressive. Danny’s loss 
was so devastating, Jill says, 
“we needed help.”
“When we lose a person, 
there is immediate support 
from family, friends and clergy,
” 
she explains. “When you lose 
a pet, many do not understand 
that the grieving process is the 
same. The pain and loss are 
the same and possibly worse. I 

know many people think you 
should just ‘get over it’ or ‘get 
another pet.
’ We will always 
grieve for our Danny.
”
The Solomons found com-
fort and a judgment-free zone 
with the local pet loss support 
group Beyond the Paw Print. 
The group was founded in 
2009 by Dr. Micky Golden 
Moore of West Bloomfield, a 
Jewish chaplain with St. Joseph 
Mercy Health System, who 
endured her own struggle with 
grief after the loss of her cats 
Pablo, Isabella and Nellie. She 

founded the support group to 
help others after experiencing 
the feeling of not having any 
place to turn.
“I want people to know the 
grief is real; they’re not alone 
and support is available,
” 
Golden Moore says. “Partly 
because of our society’s dis-
comfort with death and dying, 
friends may want us to quickly 
move on and feel better. But it 
doesn’t always work that way.
”
Golden Moore wrote the 
new book Tails from Beyond 
the Paw Print to help those 

who are struggling. Danny’s 
story is one of 22 stories of 
“love, loss and lessons learned” 
from various support group 
members.
“Beyond the Paw Print is 
a safe place for people. It val-
idates your ability to grieve 
without judgment,
” Jill says. “I 
could cry openly while I talk-
ed about Danny. We attended 
meetings in person for about 
a year. Without Micky and the 
group’s support, we would have 
been completely lost.
”
Golden Moore has a doctor-
ate degree in communication 
studies from Wayne State 
University. She spent more 
than 30 years as an adjunct 
professor in the U.S. and 
United Kingdom, specializing 
in public speaking. But she 

IN 
THED
JEWS

Dr. Micky 

Golden Moore

“I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW

THE GRIEF IS REAL.”

— DR. MICKY GOLDEN MOORE

 The
Crushing
Loss of a
Pet

Support group and new book
comfort grieving pet owners.

ROBIN SCHWARTZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

