Support Groups, Hotlines, and Books

Veterinary Specialty Center Pet Loss Support Group

VSC Free Pet Loss Support Group – email John Mysz at jmysz@vetspecialty.com
Anti-Cruelty Society Support Group – Call Tammie Bouschor at 312.644.8338 ext. 344 or e-mail tbouschor@anticruelty.org.
ASPCA Pet Loss Support Program – 877.474.3310
CVMA Wings Pet Loss Support Group and Hotline – 630.325.1600
Lap of Love
PAWS Support Group 
Pet Loss Support Page

Websites

Humane Society of the United States Pet Loss Information
Pet Loss USA
ASPCA Pet Loss
Pet Loss Help 

Books About Pet Loss

  • Coping with sorrow on the loss of your pet (3rd ed.) – Anderson, M. (1996). US: DogEar Publishing.
  • Goodbye friend: Healing wisdom for anyone who has ever lost a pet – Kowalski, G. (2012).  Novato, CA: New World Publishing.
  • Good-bye my friend: Tributes, poems, prose, and other ways to remember your pet – Lanci-Altomare, M. (2004). Irvine, CA: Bowtie Press.
  • Coping with the loss of a pet – Lemieux, C. (1989). Wyomissing, PA: Wallace R Clark Co.
  • Goodbye, my friend: Grieving the loss of a pet – Montgomery, M. and Montgomery, H. (1991). Chanhassen, MN: Montgomery Press.
  • A final act of caring: Ending the life of an animal friend – Montgomery, M. and Montgomery, H. (1993). Chanhassen, MN: Montgomery Press.
  • Healing Pet Loss – 10 tips for coping with the loss of a pet – Soucy, M. (2012). Healing Pet Loss.
  • When your pet dies: A guide to mourning, remembering, and healing – Wolfelt, A. (2004). Fort Collins, CO: Companion Press.

Books For Children and Parents

  • Talking about death: A dialogue between parent and child – Grollman, E. (1990). Boston, MA: Beacon Press.
  • When children grieve: For adults to help children deal with death, divorce, pet loss, moving, and other losses – James, J, Friedman, R, and Matthews, L. (2001). New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.
  • Pet loss and children: Establishing a healthy foundation – Ross, C.B. (2005). New York, NY: Routledge.

Books For Children

  • When dinosaurs die: A guide to understanding death – Brown, L.K., and Brown, M. (1996).  New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.
  • Why did you die: Activities to help children cope with grief and loss -Leeuwenburgh, E. and Goldring, E. (2008). Oakland, CA: Instant Help Books.
  • Lifetimes: A beautiful way to explain death to children  Mellonie, B. and Ingpen, R. (1983).
  • Dog Heaven – Rylant, C. (1995). New York, NY: The Blue Sky Press.
  • Cat Heaven -Rylant, C. (1997). New York, NY: The Blue Sky Press. New York, NY: Bantam Books.
  • I miss you: A first look at death – Thomas, P. (2001). Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s Educational Series.

Guided Journals

Pet Loss Healing Guide Journal

My Pet Remembrance Journal

My Angel Has Paws

Griffins Heart – Mourning Your Pet with No Apologies

Kingdom of Heart

Pet Loss Journal

My Favorite Hello and Hardest Goodbye

Letter Writing: My Brave Dog, I want to Say…

Individual Therapists

Rachel Menge, LCSW, PMH-C at Mind Made Well, PLLCBCBS PPO, Cigna, Blue Choice

Amanda Harris, LCSW – Amanda L. Harris Counseling – 224.633.9239 – Accepts Cigna, BCBS PPO, Optum, Anthem, Aetna or Self pay $200

Elisha-Rio A, MA – Empower Family Therapy – Couple & Family Therapy Counseling Parenting – BCBS PPO and sliding scale

Christine Gulych, LCSW and Linda Sassone, LCSW – Integrative Counseling Group – 708.608.3538 – UHC PPO/Optum, BCBS PPO, Aetna, Cigna, Oxford, UMR (ALL PPO)

Shelley Pier, LCSW – Inner Path Counseling and Wellnessspiercounseling@gmail.com – 847.440.4251 – BCBS, Cigna, and United PPOs

Audra Eisin-Banazek – Take HeArt Counseling – 773.967.9085 – BCBS PPO, UHC, Private Pay $130

Ellen Bronder, Ph.D – 216.299.3810 – No insurance, $250 for initial, $220 for each subsequent session