Support and Resources

Your resource: Veterinary Social Worker

Courtney Sutliff

As a fellow animal lover who has experienced the pain of losing furry family members, I'm here to offer emotional and social support during this difficult time. My role with Nature’s Way is to help identify and connect you with the appropriate resources, whether through counseling or other forms of support, tailored to your unique needs. Please know that if you need additional support later, you can always reach out to us. Counseling appointments are available.
Phone: 260-255-6972

Email Courtney

Pet Loss Support Groups and Helplines

Pet Loss Grief Support Group
In person in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Contact Courtney for more information or Peggy F. Murphy
Community Grief Center
5290 Homestead Rd.

Call 260-435-3261 to register
Chicago Veterinary Medical Association Pet Loss Helpline
Helpline is a free service for grieving pet owners. Trained volunteers retrieve messages from the grieving and then call to offer support by active listening as well as providing printed materials and referrals when needed.

Call (630) 325-1600
Wings– Pet Loss Support Group
Virtual support group via Zoom
Contact Courtney for more information or email Dr. Linda Harper
at: linda@drlindaharper.com to receive an invitation and instructions on how to enter the meeting.
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine Pet Loss Support Hotline
The Pet Loss Support Hotline is available via Google Voice to facilitate support Monday-Friday 6-9pm EST and on Saturdays-Sundays 12pm-9pm EST.

Google Voice will prompt you to enter your name before connecting, however, to remain anonymous you can say “anonymous” or just enter your first name.

Call 607-218-7457
Tufts Pet Loss Support Hotline
Helps pet owners who have lost an animal companion
and seeks to serve the community at large by providing resources for
people grieving the loss of a pet.

The hotline is staffed from 6-9 pm EST Monday through Thursday and has 24-hour voicemail. Calls left on the voicemail will be returned at
the next scheduled shift.
Callers are assured the assistance of a caring, supportive, respectful, non-judgmental person.

Call 508-839-7966
Michigan State University Pet Loss Support Group Meeting
Meets remotely every month, and is open to anyone who has lost a pet—your pet did not have to be a patient at MSU’s Veterinary Medical Center for you to attend our group.

Contact Courtney for more information.

Recommended Books: Companion Animal Loss and Death

Adults

Abercrombie B. (Ed.) Cherished: 21 writers on animals they have loved and lost.
Adamec, C. When your pet dies: Dealing with your grief and helping your children cope.
Anderson, A. & Anderson, L. Rainbows and bridges: An animal companion memorial kit.
Anderson, M. Coping with sorrow on the loss of your pet (2nd Ed.).
Ascher-Walsh, R. Devoted: 38 Extrodinary Tales of Love, Loyalty and Life with Dogs.
Barton-Ross, C. & Baron-Sorensen, J. Pet Loss and Human Emotion: Guiding Clients Through Grief.
Is a unique guide on human-animal bonding that’s written for mental health professionals. The authors feel strongly that pet loss needs to be understood by therapists and others in the helping professions to better enable them to help clients through this type of grief. Citing several case studies, the book describes various techniques for helping clients cope with the death of a pet. There are chapters on working with children and older adults.
Benjamins, S. Your Dog Memory Journal.
Is a place to remember your furry soul mate when healing from loss and celebrating your special
friend. The prompts encourage sharing memories by way of writing, photos, sketches, or poems. The art work is original and paper collage.
Bronson, H. Dog gone: Coping with the loss of a pet.
Carmack, B. Grieving the Death of a Pet.
Is written by a nurse and professional pet loss counselor. This book draws from her experience of counseling people who have lost a beloved pet, as well as the loss of her own furry friends. Carmack offers pet loss support to counter “a world that reminds us repeatedly that grief for an animal doesn’t count as much as grief for a person.” The book is poignant and sometimes heartrending, filled with personal stories of love and loss.
Chauncey, S. P.S. I Love You More Than Tuna
Is a book for adults trying to cope with losing a feline soulmate. The author and illustrator’s belief that the love between a cat and their person is eternal is comforting and will be a source of solace for readers.
Congalton, D. Three cats, two dogs: One journey through multiple pet loss.
Sees the author talk about how he transformed his anguish over the loss of several pets into a commitment to abused and abandoned animals. This down-to-earth book offers solace and practical suggestions for coping with grief. Anyone who has an animal companion
will find this story inspirational and hopeful.
Eastwood, L. Soul Comfort for Cat Lovers: Coping Wisdom for Heart and Soul After the Loss of a Beloved Feline.
Greene, L. Saying goodbye to the pet you love.
Is written by a psychologist who is a leader in the field of pet bereavement. This practical but sympathetic guide validates the survivor’s often misunderstood feelings, explains the importance of the human-animal bond, and offers strategies for working through the grieving process. Topics include memorializing the pet, recognizing problematic thinking, finding support, dealing with guilt, and explaining the pet’s death to a child. The special needs of the guardians of working animals are addressed, as are self-help resources for older adults.
Harris, J. Pet Loss: A Spiritual Guide.
Helps readers to understand the many emotional reactions to the loss of a pet, to assist children in coping with and recovering from their loss, and to learn how different spiritual belief systems recognize and counsel pet loss. Practical
topics include what happens at a pet cemetery burial, cremation, or home burial; what legal arrangements are available; how to develop a ceremony to honor the pet; and how to cope with the trauma of a terminally ill or runaway pet.
Jeffrey, C. Repairing the Heartbreak after Pet Loss.
Kowalski, G. Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet.
Kowalski, G., Regan, T., & Wolfe, A. The souls of animals (2nd Ed.).
Kuz, G. Cold Noses at the Pearly Gates.
Lawlor, K. A Tribute to My Beloved Animal.
Nieberg, H. & Fisher, A. Pet loss: A thoughtful guide for adults and children.
O’Neill, E. The Last Will and Testament of an Extremely Distinguished Dog.
Ragan, L. Signs from Pets in the Afterlife: Identifying Messages from Pets in Heaven.
Reynolds, R. Blessing the bridge: What animals teach us about death, dying, and beyond.
Sife, W. The Loss of a Pet.
Stein, G. The Art of Racing in the Rain.
Stupayrk, E.M. When Only Love Remains.
Is a collection of poignant poems about pet loss.
Tousley, M. The final farewell: Preparing for and mourning the loss of your pet.
Vecchio, D., Saxton-Lopez, K & Saxton-Lopez, N. The Pet Loss Companion: Healing Advice from Family Therapists Who Lead Pet Loss Groups.
Wolfelt, A. When your pet dies: A guide to mourning, remembering, and healing.

Children & Teens

Buscaglia, L. The fall of Freddie the leaf: A story for all ages.
Cardeccia, K. Healing your heart when your animal friend is gone: A children’s pet bereavement workbook.
Carney, K. Our special garden:
Understanding cremation.
Carney, K. They’re part of the family.
Carrison, D. & DuVal, P. Bill at the Rainbow Bridge.
Congalton, D. Three Cats, Two Dogs.
Davis, C. For every cat an angel.
Are two short books that
tell the story of the Rainbow Bridge. They are beautifully illustrated in whimsical watercolors and appropriate for a wide range of ages.
Davis, C. For every dog an angel.
Are two short books that
tell the story of the Rainbow Bridge. They are beautifully illustrated in whimsical watercolors and appropriate for a wide range of ages.
Davis, C. Forever Paws.
Demas, C. Saying Goodbye to Lulu.
Hansen, W. Paw Prints in the Stars: A Farewell Journal for a Beloved Pet.
Heegaard, M. Saying goodbye to your pet: Children can learn to cope with pet loss.
Heegaard, M. When someone very special dies: Children can learn to cope with grief.
Hood, A. Comfort.
Karst, P. The Invisible Leash
Kristen, J. The Rainbow Bridge…A Dog’s Story.
Mellonie, B. Lifetimes: The beautiful way to explain death to children.
Parr, T. The Goodbye Book.
Raeside, A. The Rainbow Bridge: A Visit to Pet Paradise.
Rogers, F. When a pet dies.
Ross, C. Pet loss and children.
Rylant, C. Cat Heaven.
Will appeal to children from preschool to grade 2. The simple, colorful illustrations take the child on a journey to Dog Heaven or Cat Heaven, places of warmth and happiness. In Dog Heaven, there are “fields and fields and fields,” and in Cat Heaven, there are thousands of toys and soft angel laps in which to cuddle up.
Rylant, C. Dog Heaven.
Will appeal to children from preschool to grade 2. The simple, colorful illustrations take the child on a journey to Dog Heaven or Cat Heaven, places of warmth and happiness. In Dog Heaven, there are “fields and fields and fields,” and in Cat Heaven, there are thousands of toys and soft angel laps in which to cuddle up.
Schweibert, P. Tear Soup.
Tells the story of a woman named Grandy who is making “tear soup.” It’s not specifically about the death of a pet (the reader is not sure what loss Grandy has suffered), so the
book is relevant for any grieving process. The full-color illustrations are wonderful. The book is recommended for ages 4 to 8, but it has been a comfort to people of all ages.
Sommer, S. My Cat is Blue. Features rhymes, illustrations that evolve from grayscale to full color, and a story of pet loss that examines grief from the viewpoints of those directly affected by it and those in supporting roles.
Shuld, J. Grief is a Mess.
Thomas, P. I Miss My Pet.
Tousley, M. Children and pet loss: A guide for helping.
Tuzeo-Jarolmen, J. When a Family Pet Dies: A Guide to Dealing with Children’s Loss.
Varley, S. Badger’s Parting Gifts.
Viorst, J. The Tenth Good Thing About Barney.
Walsh, B. Sammy in the Sky.
Warren, P. Where love goes. Art After Five. White, E. B. (1952). Charlotte’s web. Harper Junior.
Wilhelm, H. I’ll Always Love You.
Wolfelt, A. Helping Children Cope with Grief.
Wolfelt, A. Healing Your Grieving Heart for Teens.
Wolfelt, A. Understanding Your Grief.
Yue, S. Snort’s special gift: A family story.