Friday, 30th August is “Grief Awareness Day”. Grief after losing a pet is one of the most common and challenging issues that I encounter in my daily working life as a vet, so in recognition of this upcoming awareness day, I have created a list of online resources for helping people to deal with the challenge of grieving for a pet.
These resources are just a starting point. If your grief becomes complex or prolonged, you might find that speaking to a counsellor in person will help. You’ll find some counsellors in the links below, or talk to your GP about finding a suitable counsellor for you in your own area.
- Solace Pet Loss Ireland – set up in 2008 to provide support for individuals and families who are suffering the loss of a pet through death or disappearance.
- Cats Protection’s Paws to Listen service – dedicated to people who have suffered the loss of a cat.
- The Blue Cross Pet Bereavement Support Service
- Allianz.ie Pet Insurance Pet Loss Support leaflet
- A professional discussion about the validation of pet loss
- A UK based pet bereavement counsellor
- The Ralph site is a not-for-profit website that provides support to pet carers around the loss of a beloved companion.
Reading resources:
- Barton Ross, C. (2005) Pet Loss and Children
- Carmack, B. (2003) Grieving the Death of a Pet
- Greene, L. and Landis, J. (2002) Saying Goodbye to the Pet you Love
- Barton Ross, C. and Baron-Sorensen, J. (2007) Pet Loss and Human Emotion
- Straub, S.H. (2004) Pet Death
- Allan, N. (1996) Heaven
The books listed above are available on public loan from the Therese Brady Library at the Irish Hospice Foundation. Phone (01) 6793188
Further reading:
- Anderson, M. (2011) Coping with Sorrow on the Loss of Your Pet (Dog Ear Publishing)
- Hill, A. (2005) Do Animals Have Rights? (Icon Books)
- Mason, J. (1997) Dogs Never Lie About Love (Random House)
Please note that I am unable to answer veterinary questions in comments. If you have questions or concerns about your pet's health it is always better to contact your vet.