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Pet Loss Support

Family, friends and society don’t always understand how drastically the loss of a pet can affect us, and therefore they can find it difficult to support the grief we often feel. The San Diego Humane Society’s Pet Loss Support Group provides an environment where thoughts and emotions can be shared with those of similar circumstances and feelings of grief are understood and validated. Our Pet Loss Support group is facilitated by a licensed, clinical social worker.

Reservations are encouraged but not required. Evening and weekend sessions are available to best accommodate your needs. Click here or call (619) 299-7012, extension 2311 for more information or to make a reservation. Please bring a picture of your beloved pet to the session.

The Pet Loss Support Group is open to everyone ages 10 and up and is appropriate for those who have recently lost a pet, are still mourning an old loss, are anticipating the death of a pet or are preparing for euthanasia.

If you are:

  • Feeling lost without your pet
  • Wondering what to tell your child about the loss of a pet
  • Finding that family and friends fail to understand or attempt to minimize your loss
  • Wondering if it is too soon to get another pet
  • Still grieving for a pet you had some time ago
  • Considering euthanasia

...then the San Diego Humane Society's Pet Loss Support Group may help. Losing your companion animal can be an extremely difficult and painful experience, and we offer a caring, compassionate understanding of your loss.

Suggested Reading:

  • Saying Good-bye to the Pet You Love
    Lorri Greene, PhD and Jacquelyn Landis, New Harbinger Publications, 2002
  • Coping with Sorrow on the Loss of Your Pet
    Moira Anderson, Peregrine Press, 1994.
  • The Human-Animal Bond and Grief
    Laurel Lagoni, Carolyn Butler & Suzanne Hetts, W.B. Saunders and Company, 1994.
  • Preparing for the Loss of Your Pet
    Myrna Milani, DVM, Prima Publishing, 1988.
  • Oh Where Has My Pet Gone?: A Pet Loss Memory Book, Ages 3-103
    Sally Sibbitt, B. Libby Press, 1991.
  • The Loss of a Pet
    Wallace Sife, Howell Books, 1998.
  • The Tenth Good Thing About Barney
    Judith Viorst, Athenum, 1971.
  • Charlotte's Web
    E.B. White, Harper Junior, 1952.
  • Remembering My Pet: A Kid's Own Spiritual Workbook for When a Pet Dies
    Nechama Liss-Levinson, PhD and Rev. Molly Phinney Baskett, SkyLight Paths Publishing, 2007.

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