Pet Loss Resources

We all grieve differently and it’s important to remember that support can look and feel different for each of us. It’s important to honor what you need. Below are a variety of additional pet loss and grief resources we’ve compiled that you may find helpful:

Pet Loss Support Groups

Articles and Interviews

Podcasts

Books

Navigating the waves of grief after losing a pet can feel overwhelming and lonely at times. A pet loss support group offers a safe, accepting place where you can share your feelings and experiences related to the loss (or impending loss) of your pet.

  • Association of Pet Loss & Bereavement

    Offering weekly online chat groups and a monthly video support group as well as a wide collection of other pet loss resources on their website.

  • The Human-Animal Bond Trust

    A Denver-based organization; their Pet Loss Support Group has been around for 35 years! During the pandemic they went online and the group is available to anyone in the country now. You can learn more here about how to join.

  • The Humane Society of Boulder Valley

    Offering a free in-person and online Pet Illness and Loss Support Group for those who have experienced or anticipate the loss of their companion animal.
  • This Huffington Post article by Associated Press writer, Jen Reeder, highlights how she navigated her grief after losing her first dog, Peach. An excellent article that captures how painful it is to lose a beloved pet and shares some of the resources Jen found helpful following her loss.
  • This article and this one speak to how the death of a pet is frequently more painful than losing a human loved one.
  • This article from Scientific American emphasizes why we need to take pet loss seriously. It’s one of the best we’ve come across and highlights the need for a cultural shift in the way we acknowledge and support those who are experiencing the grief of losing a beloved pet.
  • There are some helpful tips in this article for ways you can support a friend or loved one who’s grieving the loss of a pet.
  • A short 20-minute radio interview with Central Illinois Hospice Veterinarian Dr. Jessie Keay in which she shares her experience of being a mobile pet hospice vet and the way hospice care can be a comfort and support at the end of a pet’s life.
It’s easy to tune into a podcast while you go for a walk or you’re driving and these are a couple that you may find helpful.

  • Cumulative Losses: Health, Infertility & Pet Loss

    Rainbow Bridge Pet Loss Deck creator Mindy Meiering speaks with Nathalie Himmerlich on the "How To Deal with Grief and Trauma" podcast about her experience with multiple forms of grief: loss of health (cancer), unexplained infertility, loss of friends through death or life transitions, and pet loss. Mindy shares about her own grief journey, the importance of seeking support, and shares what she has learned from working with others who are navigating their own grief after painful losses.

  • Navigating Seasons of Loss

    There is so much grief and loss in our world right now. In this podcast, Mindy talks to Green Women podcast host, Reggie Weber, about some different ways we can work with our grief and also bring gratitude into our grieving process.

  • How to Cope With the Death of a Pet

    A 21-minute segment on NPR’s Life Kit podcast that explores how to express, process, and share the grief of losing a beloved pet.

  • The Pet Loss Companion

    Hosted by family therapists Nancy Saxton-Lopez and Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio, this podcast shares experiences, recommendations and reflections that help listeners navigate the loss of their animal companions.

  • All There Is with Anderson Cooper

    A beautiful exploration of grief and loss. Masterful interviews with a number of guests, including Stephen Colbert and Laurie Anderson, combined with deeply personal sharing by Anderson himself make this podcast a deeply moving commentary on grief and what supports us in our grief journeys as we navigate signifcant loss.

  • The Pet Loss Companion by Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio & Nancy Saxton-Lopez

    A concise, easy-to-read book written by two family therapists, offering practical coping strategies that can help after the loss of a pet. The authors acknowledge the significant role our pets play in our lives and offer comfort and hope to those who are struggling after the loss of a cherished animal companion.

  • Goodbye Friend by Gary Kowlaski

    A book full of wise, compassionate guidance to support anyone through the loss of a pet. Includes ideas for rituals and memorials to honor your pet’s life, practical ideas for how to take care of yourself after the death of a pet, and the importance of honestly when talking with children about pet loss.

  • Saying Goodbye to the Pet You Love by Lorri Greene, PhD & Jacqueline Landis

    Authored by a psychologist with twenty years of experiences as a pet bereavement specialist, this book highlights the very special human-animal bond and why it is so painful when we lose our pets. A number of tools are offered that can support people as they heal from the loss of their pets, and the book includes chapters on how to support children through pet loss, and resources for the elderly.

  • Cherished: 21 Writers on Animals They Have LOVED and LOST Edited by Barbara Abercrombie

    Grieving for animal companions we’ve lost can often feel lonely and isolating. To help grieving animal lovers feel less alone, Barbara Abercrombie compiled this collection of essays that highlight the many ways our pets add so much goodness to our lives, as well as how deeply we feel their losses. Includes essays by a number of writers, including: Anne Lamott, Jane Smiley, Carolyn See and many others. The message throughout is clear: It is better to have loved and lost.

  • The Book of Pet Love & Loss by Sara Bader

    A short quote from the Introduction of the book reads: “The Book of Pet Love & Loss is a guide of sorts. Divided into chapters, the collection walks us down five distinct trails: the celebration of the bond; the realization that the end is near; the adjustment to life without one’s shadow; the persistence of mourning; and the final gift of friendship.” Famous figures (such as Fred Rogers and Julia Child) are quoted throughout, along with photos and stories of their relationships with their pets. A lovely recent addition to the literature on pet loss.

  • Good Grief: On Loving Pets, Here and Hereafter by E.B Bartels

    An enjoyable and comforting read on the special bonds we have with our animal companions and the different ways people honor and memorialize our pets.

  • The Loss of a Pet by Wallace Sife, PhD.

    Dr. Sife founded the Association for Pet Loss & Bereavement, a nonprofit organization that offers a wide array of resources to support grieving pet lovers. This book he authored is written from the perspective of someone who has mourned the loss of a beloved pet, while also drawing on his extensive training and experience as a psychologist. He offers ways to meet and work with the many emotions that can arise as we grieve and offers many strategies for coping with our grief and loss after a pet dies.

  • P.S. I Love You More Than Tuna - by Sarah Chauncey

    A sweet book for the grieving cat lover. The author and illustrator (both cat lovers themselves) “offer this book as a universal love letter from the felines we’ve bid goodbye to.” It’s a celebration of the special bonds between humans and their feline companions and a reminder that the love we shared with them lives on forever, even after they are no longer physically with us.