Grief Resources
Our pets are part of the family, and losing any family member can be devastating. The loss of a pet changes our daily lives. It can be a difficult adjustment, and it’s okay to not be okay right now. For some, grief may lead them to seek counseling, choose to memorialize their pet in some manner or even open their home to an animal in need. There are support groups, resources and counselors available to help you through this difficult time. We have gathered some digital and print resources below to hopefully help you along your journey from grief to healing. We understand that you are heart-broken, but you are not alone! *
Websites
- Argus Institute Counseling & Support Services – Colorado State Univ. Vet Med
- Delta Society – Pet Loss Counseling
- 10 Tips on Coping with Pet Loss
- Association for Pet Loss Berevement
- Supporting People Who Are Grieving – Washington State Univ. Vet Med
- Grief Healing
- Helping Children Cope – The Pet Loss Support Page
- Explaining Pet Loss to Children
- Chance’s Spot – Pet Loss & Grief Support
Books
- The Loss of a Pet: A Guide to Coping with the Grieving Process When a Pet Dies (Fourth Edition)
Wallace Sife, Ph.D. - Goodbye, Friend
Gary Kowlaski - Saying Goodbye to the Pet You Love
Lorri A. Greene, Ph.D - Grieving the Death of a Pet
Betty Carmack - Pet Loss: A Spiritual Guide
Julia Harris - Cold Noses at the Pearly Gates
Gary Kurz - When Only the Love Remains
Emily Margaret Stuparyk - Three Cats, Two Dogs: One Journey Through Multiple Pet Loss
David Congalton - Dog Heaven and Cat Heaven
Cynthia Rylant - Tear Soup
Pat Schweibert - For Every Dog an Angel and For Every Cat an Angel
Christine Davis - Pet Loss and Human Emotion: Guiding Clients Through Grief
Cheri Barton Ross & Jane Baron-Sorensen
Social Media Support Groups
Counseling Services & Hotlines
- Day by Day Pet Giver Support
Hotline: (484) 453-8210
Individual Phone Counseling: email daybydaypetsupport@comcast.net to schedule - Lap of Love Pet Loss and Bereavement
Hotline: (855) 352-5683 - Crisis Center of East Alabama
Hotline: (334) 821-8600 - Cornell University Pet Loss Support
Hotline: (607) 253-3932 - Tufts University Pet Loss Support
Hotline: (508) 839-7966 - Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine Pet Loss Support
Hotline: (540) 231-8038
*Auburn University does not own or endorse any of these third-party resources. The resources listed above are meant for reference only and as possible tools for coping with grief due to the loss of a pet.