OUR
FOUNDER

Michelle Nichols, AHELP Project Founder
(Banner: Michelle and Teddy in front of the Seattle skyline)

Hello there, thank you for stopping by. I am a Pet Parent like you. I get you.

I'm Michelle

When my furry loved ones need me, I do whatever I can to answer the call. I choose the healthiest foods, get them “all the things” I can afford, and ensure we have the veterinary team who best fits our family’s needs. When they are sick, I learn how to deliver the care they need in the prescribed way. I find us trusted providers to share the care: special needs pet sitters I know are up to treating them with respect and the care they need as they age, massage therapists to ease my doggy’s pain, and even animal communicators when I can’t figure out what my kitty is trying so hard to tell me!

When they are nearing the Rainbow Bridge, I call on the lessons learned by all the animals and the families I have been honored to serve. They have taught me about living to the last breath, about the complexities of dying, and how to achieve peace and a life transformed forever by the journey. I am deeply grateful to be able to share those lessons with you through the AHELP Project, and I look forward to meeting you very soon.

AHELP Project - Michelle and her dog, Bunny, at home in Bellevue, Washington

Michelle and her beloved dog, Bunny, at home in Bellevue, Washington

My Story

In 2011, I put my grief counseling skills and health education experience to work and created a new way to support pet parents like me who had ill pets. Inspired by my hospice nurse mother, we initially served pet parents through our “Partners to the Bridge” business. Later, we shifted our focus to establishing the AHELP Project, adopting a nonprofit model to provide more accessible, comprehensive services to support more families. As AHELP grew, I took leadership roles in the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care, serving as President in 2019 and advocating for the teamwork model of caregiver support.

© IAAHPC

© Animal Hospice Group

The pandemic brought challenges but also opportunities in building online education. I co-founded Animal Hospice Group and co-authored their certification program. Committed to educating and training the next generation of pet hospice leaders, I continue teaching and mentoring students.

As AHELP nears its 15th year, I’m focused on expanding caregiver support through "Partners to the Bridge" coaching and creating online content and courses to build awareness in our field. Engaging volunteers seeking advanced animal hospice training will help us fulfill AHELP’s original vision of supporting even more pet parents.

© Partners to the Bridge, Animal Hospice Coaching

I love to sail when I’m not working from my Bellevue, Washington, home office. My husband Chris and I might be found cruising the Puget Sound or spotting orca pods in the San Juan Islands. We’re proud of our daughter Zoe Amethyst, a student at Washington State University - GO COUGS! Boston Terriers Bunny and Teddy, are our family’s constant companions, and our spirit kitty, Mickey Max, still pays visits from his favorite spot on my desktop from time to time.

I’m committed to “one day” return to my lifelong passion of riding horses. I am a passionate advocate for the human-animal bond, which inspired me to volunteer as an Animal-Assisted Therapy handler with my heartdog, Bunny, at Seattle Children’s Hospital with Pet Partners. Bunny brought joy and comfort to many during our visits before her passing in late 2024. ❤️‍🩹

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS

Michelle and her family love to go sailing

Michelle and her family at a Washington State University football game

Family dogs, Bunny and Teddy during sailing trip

AHELP Project - Mickey, family cat, in hospice care

Sweet Mickey, family cat, in hospice care

Michelle trail riding with horse “Jessie” in Redmond

Michelle as an Animal Assisted Therapy Handler with “Bunny”

TESTIMONIALS

“As a student in the Animal Hospice Group certification program that Michelle co-founded and developed, I was fortunate to experience not only the coursework she created, but also her mentorship. The modules and training Michelle taught on a variety of subjects (in the Animal Hospice Certification) were informed, unique and insightful. Her development of a paradigm for end-of-life decision making for pets and loved ones, which she called “the Path of Least Regrets” (now called Partners to the Bridge) stands iconically as a critical tool for those facing difficult decisions.”

Charis NT., Former Student and
Certified Animal Hospice Practitioner,
Tuscon, Arizona

AHELP Project - AHELP Project - Pet parent Amy and dog Fiona

“Michelle Nichols is very passionate and knowledgeable about giving the best care for our companion animals at the end of their life, through to their last breath. She is present when speaking with me and offers great advice in helping me help others facing this difficult process of loving an animal.”