Please feel free to join our Facebook group (Faithful Hearts Vet Pet Loss Support Group). You can post about your pet as well as ask for or share advice for coping and healing with your grief. We try to have Zoom meetings once a month as well.
The bond we share with our pets is incredibly strong, and it is completely normal to feel heartbroken or angry at their passing, or even in anticipation of their loss. The healing period is often long and extremely difficult. At each appointment we leave a booklet about managing grief from pet loss, which includes info on the companion animals' and children's grieving processes and ways to help. The following are some additional resources available to help you through this process.
BOOKS
There are several books such as those below available on Amazon, including ones focusing on children’s grief after the loss of a pet.
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Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet, by Gary Kowalski
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Going Home: Finding Peace When Pets Die, by Jon Katz
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The Invisible Leash, by Patrice Karst (children's book)
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Dog Heaven, by Cynthia Rylant (children's book)
WEBSITES
The Colorado State University – Argus Institute
The Ohio State University – Honoring the Bond
The Association of Pet Loss and Bereavement is a unique organization that offers free support for grief.
CALL CENTERS AND HOTLINES
Cornell University Pet Loss Support Hotline
607-253-3932
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM EST, Tuesday and Thursday
The National Suicide Prevention Hotline
1-800-273-8255, Available 24 hours/7 days a week