Pet Loss Support

Dealing with the loss of a special companion is never easy.   There is a normal grieving process that everyone must go through, although we all experience and deal with grief in different ways. javascript:void(0)

If you have experienced the loss of a pet, or are preparing to say goodbye to a beloved companion, there are many resources that you may find helpful in the San Diego Area.   In addition to the Group services, there are telephone hotlines as well as many wonderful books that can be checked out or ordered through our local libraries. 

Pet Loss Groups:

Pet Loss Counseling
9815 Carroll Canyon Rd., San Diego, CA 92131
(858) 566-3333
Contact: Meg Kaufman, Licensed MFCC
Meg Kaufman is a marriage, family, and child counselor in private practice. Her specialties include bereavement counseling, especially for animal loss. She works with children, adolescents and adults and is available to speak to groups concerning the loss of a pet. Her background includes counseling in schools, hospices, outpatient psychiatric facilities and in private practice. She is also a certified animal lover!

Pet Loss Support Group
San Diego Humane Society and SPCA
5500 Gaines Street, San Diego, CA 92110
(619) 299-7012 x 2311  www.sdhumane.org
One weekend morning and one weekday evening session per month
The Pet Loss Support Group is open to those ages 12 and up, including pet parents who are considering or preparing for euthanasia. Thanks to support from the San Diego Pet Memorial Park, sessions are free. Donations are appreciated.

Pet Loss Support Hotlines:

ASPCA Pet Loss Support Hotline (toll free)
877-474-3310

UC DAVIS Pet Loss Support Hotline - Discontinued.

BOOKS

Saying Good-bye to the Pet You Love Lorri Greene, PhD and Jacquelyn Landis, New Harbinger Publications, 2002. Also see San Diego County Pet Bereavement Program

Coping with the Loss of a Pet
Christina M. Lemieux, Wallace R. Clark, 1992

Living Through Personal Crisis
Ann Kaiser Stearns, Ballantine, 1984

Maya's First Rose
Martin Scott Kosins, Open Sky Books, 1992

When Your Pet Dies: How to Cope with Your Feelings
J. Quackenbush & D. Graveline, Simon & Schuster, 1985 (out of print check library)

Especially for Children:

Lifetimes
B. Mellonie & R. Ingpen, Bantam Books, 1983

Oh, Where Has My Pet Gone?
Sally Sibbett, B. Libby Press, 1991

Pet Loss: A Thoughtful Guide for Adults and Children
H.A. Nieburg & A. Fisher, Harper & Row, 1982 (out of print - check library)

The Tenth Good Thing About Barney
Judith Viorst, Aladdin Books, 1975

WEB RESOURCES

Delta Society - https://petpartners.org/resource/pet-loss-and-bereavement/, counselors, groups, websites, memorials, articles, and a comprehensive bereavement directory
Pet Loss Help - www.petlosshelp.com, memorials, articles, pet stories, reference links

Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement, http://www.aplb.org, Free groups, websites, memorials, articles

HealthyPets.com (AAHA) dealing with the loss of a pet