State-by-State Guide to Support Groups, Counselors & Pet Cemeteries
AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY
Canada/International
Pet Loss Hotlines

HOME · Links & Hotlines · Emotions of Pet Loss · Defining "Quality of Life" · Pre-Loss Bereavement · Surviving Loss · Conquering Guilt · Creating a Memorial · Euthanasia: The Most Painful Decision · The Final Farewell · Do Pets Go to Heaven? · Getting a New Pet · Send in the Clones? · Some Questions on Loss
Coping with Sorrow on the Loss of Your Pet

Visit Our Sponsors!

Urns & Caskets

Headstones & Markers

Memorial Products

Portraits and Artwork

Jewelry

Condolence Gifts

Books, CDs and Videos

Online/Virtual Tributes

Click HERE to List Your Product or Service!

More Help: Links and Hotlines

Translations · Pets in Heaven · Tribute Sites · Discussion Groups · Condolence Cards · General Information · Hotlines

I am an author currently working on a book entitled "Memorializing Our Pets: How Americans Build Shrines to their Animal Friends." If you or someone you know has lost a pet and fashioned a unique, creative, natural gravesite or a "memory spot" or other memorial, I would like to speak with you about the opportunity to further memorialize your friend. If you are interested, please go to http://www.gayballiet.com.

I am putting together a book titled Crossing the Rainbow Bridge for people who have stories about their pets who have crossed over. It is going to be a very beautiful book. If anyone has a story they would likeÊto place in the book, please visit this link - http://www.geocities.com/trampolineone/survive3/srv601.htm -Êor contact me at trampolineone@earthlink.net. Thank you. Roger Dean Kiser"

Translations of Materials on This Site

Do Pets Go to Heaven? - translated to French: http://www.michelemorgan.ca/page116-special.htm
Soutien lors de la perte de nos petit compagnons: http://perso.wanadoo.fr/soutienperteanimaldomestique/; French pet loss site; includes French translation of "Ten Tips on the Loss of Your Pet."
Coping with Sorrow on the Loss of Your Pet is also available in Japanese.
NOTE: If you would like to provide a translation of materials on this site, please contact Moira Allen.

Pets in Heaven

All Creatures Do Go to Heaven... Especially Pets: http://www.all-creatures.org/ach; The presentation on this site can be a bit off-putting -- lots of bold, different size fonts, etc. -- but I found the verses and translation details very interesting and worth exploring.
Animals in Heaven: Proof that Animals Go to Heaven: http://www.ourchurch.com/member/w/w_lasalle/; A number of useful scripture references on the topic.
Creatures in Heaven: http://www.creatures.com/; A site that offers books, videos and music as well as information on scripture and whether pets go to heaven.
Do Animals Go to Heaven?: http://www.eternalanimals.com; A number of loss-related resources, plus health tips and other info, and a book and articles dealing with the "pets in heaven" issue.
Scripture and Animals: http://dogshavesouls.com/scripture.html; Do pets go to heaven? Some comforting Bible verses.
Will Mr. Pooper Go to Heaven?: http://www.annerobertson.com/MrPooper.pdf; Short PDF file discussing scriptures regarding pets; comforting.

Tribute Sites

Angel Cats: http://angelcats.faithweb.com; Cat memorial site in the UK. (Lots of popups, unfortunately.)
Dogheaven: http://www.dogheaven.com; A memorial/tribute site. This site charges a fee for posting memorials (portions go to charity), but also offers a number of useful (free) resources.
Heaven's Playground Pet Memorial: http://www.forpetloversonly.com; A site where pet owners can post memorials and tributes; plus a discussion forum, poetry, sympathy e-cards, and links.
ILovedMyPet.com: http://www.ILovedMyPet.com/; Offers a free online memorial listing for three months, and charges a small fee for longer (or large) listings. All profits go to humane associations.
In Memory of Pets: http://www.in-memory-of-pets.com/tributes.php
Light a Candle: http://www.dotsphinx.com/lightacandle/; An interesting site where you can light a "virtual candle" in memory of your pet.
Pet Memorial Website: http://www.mypet-memorial.net; A place to post free memorials, photos, tributes, stories, etc.
Pets4Ever: http://pets4ever.moonfruit.com; A free site where you can post photos and stories about your pet.
Pet Reflections: http://petreflections.net/; A virtual "quilt" where you can post a "patch" memorializing your pet.
PetsEverlasting.com: http://petseverlasting.com/index.htm; Offers a variety of resources, including a tribute section, chats and a forum, as well as links to a variety of products.

Discussion Groups

Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement Chat Room: http://www.aplb.org; Chat room for pet loss, MWF 8-11PM (ET), Sunday 2-5PM (ET); Chat Room for Anticipating Pet Loss, Thursday 8-10PM (ET)
Chance's Spot Pet Loss Support Discussion Group: http://groups.msn.com/ChancesSpot-PetLossSupport
More than Just a Pet: http://groups.msn.com/MorethanJustAPetCopingwithyourloss/
Pet Grief Support: http://groups.msn.com/PetGriefSupport/
PetsEverlasting.com: http://petseverlasting.com/index.htm; Offers a variety of resources, including a tribute section, chats and a forum, as well as links to a variety of products.
Stairways to Heaven: http://groups.msn.com/StairwaystoHeaven
NOTE: These groups are the result of a quick search on MSN; if you're looking for a discussion group, you might also try Yahoo! Groups. Search on "pet loss."

Condolence Cards

1-2-3 Greetings: Electronic Pet Loss Condolence Cards: http://www.123greetings.com/pets/loss_of_pet/index.html; Free electronic pet loss condolence cards.
Free Online Pet Loss Condolence Cards: http://www.comfortpets.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=6
In Memory of Pets: http://www.in-memory-of-pets.com/sympathycards.php; You can order printed sympathy cards from this site.
Paws Passed: http://www.pawspassed.com/ecards.php; Offers free pet loss e-cards.
Pet Loss: Tracks in the Sand: http://members.fortunecity.com/sandtracker/

General Information

Angel Animals: http://www.angelanimals.net/welcome.html; While not specifically a "pet loss" site, this site focuses on animals and spirituality, and offers an interesting selection of articles. (It also has some pet loss resources.)
Animal Love and Loss Network: http://www.ALLN.ORG; An organization of pet loss counselors and professionals; offers links to support groups, plus a chat room.
Animals in Our Hearts: http://Animalsinourhearts.com; Offers links, articles, an audio-book, tips on helping a friend or loved one cope with loss, and a variety of other animal-related resources.
Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement: http://www.aplb.org; An association of pet loss counselors and professionals. The site offers links, articles, a bookstore, and directories of counselors and pet loss support groups.
Argus Institute for Families and Veterinary Medicine: http://www.argusinstitute.colostate.edu/; Sponsored by Colorado State University, this site provides a number of excellent articles on pet loss, plus additional resources for more help. (Formerly "Changes: The Support for People and Pets Program".)
AVMA Guidelines for Pet Loss Support Services: http://www.avma.org/issues/policy/pet_loss.asp; This page will be useful to anyone interested in setting up a pet loss support group.
Cat Lullaby: http://www.myspace.com/fredmooltenandfriends; Hear a lullaby inspired by the death of a beloved cat; the lyrics can be found at http://bluesandfolk.com/lyrics.htm (scroll down to "Cat Lullaby).
Coping with the Death of Your Pet: http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/coping_with_the_death_of_your_pet/; Pet loss material from the Humane Society of the United States. Sadly, no longer the resource it used to be.
Coping with the Loss of a Pet: http://www.homevet.com/bonding/loss.html; An article covering grieving, the five stages of mourning, how to explain pet loss to a child, and reasons for euthanasia.
Cornell University Pet Loss Support Hotline: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/public/petloss; In addition to information about the hotline itself, this site lists other hotlines and offers several useful articles on loss, grieving, euthanasia and more.
DogDied.uk.com: http://www.dogdied.uk.com; A helpful UK site dealing with pet loss, with forums, articles, memorials and more.
"Dr. Cookie's" Pet Loss Page: http://www.dr-cookie.com; Hosted by Dr. Stefanie Schwartz, veterinarian and behaviorist; click on the "Pet Loss" link on the left.
Emotional Trauma: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/grief_bereavement.htm; A good, generic guide to causes, symptoms and coping strategies for emotional trauma, including loss.
Equine Protection Network - Cemeteries and Crematories for Horses: http://www.equineprotectionnetwork.com/saveamericashorses/cremations.htm; A state-by-state guide to facilities that handle burials or cremations for horses.
Explaining Pet Loss to Children: Six Do's and Don'ts: http://tinyurl.com/q35sa
FidoFinder.com: http://www.fidofinder.com/; A site where you can register a missing pet, along with useful tips for finding a lost pet.
Grief Healing: http://griefhealing.com; An excellent resource from pet loss counselor Marty Tousley. It offers an extensive collection of Marty's articles and columns on grief, plus other resources. The one downside is that it is graphics-intensive and can take a long time to load (but it's worth the wait).
GriefWorksBC: http://www.griefworksbc.com/; A Canadian resource site for grief in general, including lots of links and a database of grief counselors on Canada.
Having to Say Goodbye: http://www.landofpuregold.com/loss.htm; A (long) page of pet loss tips and resources from a golden retriever site. A key resource is a state-by-state guide to pet loss resources and support groups; click on the map to find resources in your state. In addition to links, poetry and basic tips, this page offers an extensive list of books for adults and children. Also graphics-heavy and slow to load.
Healing and Inspirational Poetry: http://www.petloss.com/poems/poems.htm; Links to dozens of poems on pet loss and related topics.
In Memory of Pets: http://www.in-memory-of-pets.com/; An extensive collection of links, book references, and other resources for pet loss.
Interfaith Animal Clergy: http://www.animalclergy.com/; A resource for clergy, chaplains, and others helping people deal with the bereavement of pet loss.
Lightning Strike Pet-Loss Support Page: http://www.lightning-strike.com/frame_pet-loss.htm; One of the oldest pet-loss sites on the web, with an eclectic selection of resources and links. Now offers pet loss support blogs!
Nikki Hospice Foundation for Pets: http://www.pethospice.org/index.html; A site dedicated to "Promoting the right to make personal choices concerning a terminally ill companion animal, maximizing quality of life and informing the veterinary community and the public about the value of hospice care."
Paws of the Heart: http://www.pawsoftheheart.com; Though the resource pages of this site are designed primarily for the Virginia area, other pages offer a wide range of poems, articles and other tips for grieving. Definitely worth a visit.
Perpetual Pet: http://www.perpetualpet.net; The only site I've been able to find on freeze-drying pets.
Pet Animal Preservation: http://www.pet-animalpreservation.com; OK, now I've found TWO sites on freeze-drying...
Pet Hospice Care: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/pethospice/; A new discussion group focusing on pet hospice care and bereavement.
The Pet Loss Grief Support Website & Candle Ceremony: http://www.petloss.com/; Offers information on "The Rainbow Bridge" in several different languages, plus a Monday evening worldwide candle ceremony for pets. Also offers a chat room, translations of the ceremony, poetry (see above), articles, books, links to online support groups (on AOL, Compuserve, and GEnie), links to telephone support, an article on grief writing, and links to other resources.
Pet Loss Phone Support: http://www.petloss.com/phones.htm; Links to university and veterinary hospital hotlines, and also to a variety of counselors and organizations that offer telephone support to pet owners.
Pet Loss: Understanding Grief in Children: http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/grief-children.html
The Pet Professor: http://www.thepetprofessor.com; Though not specifically a pet loss page, this site is loaded with useful information and great pictures.
Millies Ministries Veterinary Chaplaincy: http://www.veterinarychaplaincy.org/id18.html; Offers prayers, support and counseling for pet owners.
Super Dog's Pet Loss: A Reference to References: http://www.superdog.com/Coping-.html; Links to books, online resources, counselors, cemeteries, urns and markers, poems, tributes and more.
Time to Let Go: http://www.messybeast.com/euth.htm; Good article on euthanasia, and on how to determine when the time is right.
Treegivers: http://www.treegivers.com/program.html; Plant a tree in memory of your pet
Veterinary Chaplaincy Services: http://veterinarychaplaincy.homestead.com/; Designed to help veterinarians and other professionals deal with "compassion fatigue" relating to pet loss.

Hotlines

Grief Recovery Hotline: (800) 445-4808 - M-F 9am-5pm PT

Arizona: Companion Animal Association - (602) 995-5885 (24 hrs)

California: U.C. Davis College of Veterinary Medicine - (800) 565-1526 (M-F 6:30-9:30pm PT), http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/petloss/

Colorado: Colorado State University - (970) 297-1242 (M-F 9-5 MT)

D.C. - The PAL Pet Loss Hotline can be accessed by calling the PAL office in Washington, D.C., 202-895-1395, Monday through Friday, from 9am to 5 pm. You will be referred to a PAL counselor

Florida: University of Floriday - (904) 392-4700 x 4080 (M-F 7-9pm ET)

Illinois: Chicago Veterinary Medical Association - (630) 325-1600 (leave voice-mail; calls returned between 7-9 pm; long distance calls returned collect)

Indiana: Pet Loss Support Group - (317) 251-4028

Iowa: Iowa State University Pet Loss Support Hotline - (888) 478-7574 (toll-free).

Maryland, Virginia, DC: Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine - (540) 231-8038 (T/Th 6-9pm ET)

Massachusetts: Tufts University - (508) 839-7966 (T/Th 6-9pm ET)

Michigan: Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine - (517) 432-2696 (T/Th 7:30-9:30pm ET)

Minnesota: Social Work Services, University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center - 612-624-9372

New Jersey: PetFriends Inc. - (800) 404-PETS, (609) 667-1717 for local southern NJ calls. Callers may leave their number at any time; local calls will be returned at no charge, long-distance calls will be returned collect.

Ohio: Ohio State University Veterinary School - (614) 292-1823 (MWF 6:30-9:30 PM ET; voice mail messages will be returned collect.)

Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine - (215) 898-4525

Texas: United Way Helpline - (210) 227-4357 (7am-3pm CT)

Great Britain - 0891 615285
Society for Companion Animal Studies. Fee: 49p/minute Monday thru Friday 8am-6pm; 39p/minute otherwise. Offers a booklet titled "Death of an Animal Friend" for £ 2.50; write SCAS, 10b Leny Rd., Callander, Scotland FK17 8BA.

Would you like to link to us?

We welcome links back to the Pet Loss Support Page. We cannot always guarantee a reciprocal link, as we only offer links to sites that offer a significant amount of information or resources specifically on the subject of pet loss. If you'd like to add our link, however, there is no need to contact us for permission. You are also welcome to use the button at left to accompany the link.

Looking for more answers?
Pet loss brings a host of painful questions:

Am I the only person who feels this way?
What is "normal"? Am I "crazy" to be hurting so much?
How can I work through the pain I'm feeling?
What should I tell my children about the death of our pet?
How do I know whether it's "time" to euthanize a pet?
Will my other pets grieve for the loss of their companion?
What do I do if my pet is lost or runs away?
How can I protect my pets in an emergency?
How can I help my family cope?
What should I do with my pet's remains?
What if I have to give up my pet?
When should I get a new pet?

You'll find answers to these questions and more in Moira Anderson's
Coping with Sorrow on the Loss of Your Pet.

To order, please visit Amazon.com, and select "Fulfilled by Amazon" at the top of the page - the seller will be shown as "pet-loss-net". (If "Fulfilled by Amazon" does not show up, please click the "New" tab to reach the right section.) Note that you can combine this with other orders on Amazon.com to get free shipping; shipping takes 3-4 business days.

UK Customers: You can now order Coping with Sorrow directly from the author via Amazon.co.uk. Just select the seller "moirakallen" from the "New and Used" offers (the book will be listed as "new").