When It's Time to Say Goodbye

Resources

Books

A number of books have been published on different aspects of pet bereavement. The following are those I can personally recommend:

Garner, Angela. Remembering My Pet. UK: Environmental Animal Sanctuary and Education – EASE. This colourful activity book is designed to help children aged 11 years and under through the upset of losing a much-loved pet. It is free to download at

https://ease-animals.org.uk

Hanh, Thich Nhat. Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm. New York: HarperOne, 2012. The author explains how practical techniques of mindfulness can help us all, and shows how to ground ourselves in the present moment and find the courage to face what frightens us.

Ironside, Virginia. Goodbye, Dear Friend: Coming to Terms with the Death of a Pet. London, UK: JR Books, 2009. This book shares the experiences of others who have gone through a pet bereavement and brings solace and comfort.

Tuzeo-Jarolmen, JoAnn. When a Family Pet Dies: A Guide to Dealing with Children’s Loss. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2006. This concise book explains how children grieve at different ages, helping parents to understand how to talk to their children about the death of a family pet.

Websites

General

Child Bereavement UK. “Telling a Child that Someone Has Died.” https://www.childbereavementuk.org/telling-a-child-that-someone-has-died.

Compassion Understood. https://www.compassionunderstood.com/page/palliative-and-hospice-care-for-pets. Palliative and hospice care for pets in the UK and US.

Environmental Animal Sanctuary & Education (EASE). Pet Loss Support. https://ease-animals.org.uk/pet-loss-support/. Pet loss bereavement support resources (audio and written).

International Association of Pet Cemeteries and Pet Crematories. www.iaopc.com.

The Rainbow Bridge. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Bridge_(pets).

Animal Trust. https://www.animaltrust.org.uk/about-us. North of England not-for-profit vets.

Association of Private Pet Cemeteries and Crematoria: https://appcc.org.uk.

Blue Cross. https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-bereavement-and-pet-loss. National pet bereavement support service.

“Fallen Stock and Safe Disposal of Dead Animals.” UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and Animal and Plant Health Agency. 29 August 2012. Updated 11 May 2015. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/fallen-stock.

Lane, Martin. “How to Get Help with Vet Bills.” Money.co.uk. 5 September 2018. https://www.money.co.uk/pet-insurance/how-to-get-help-with-vet-bills.htm.

The Maggie Fleming Animal Hospice. https://www.themaggiefleminganimalhospice.org.uk.

NHS: Help for Suicidal Thoughts. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/suicide/. Suicide prevention helpline.

The Ralph Site. https://www.theralphsite.com. Pet bereavement resources and access to private counsellors.

The Samaritans. https://www.samaritans.org. Suicide prevention helpline.

“Six Places Pet Owners Can Go to Get Financial Help with Vet Bills.” Vets Now. 10 September 2019. https://www.vets-now.com/2018/02/help-with-vet-bills.

SupportLine. https://www.supportline.org.uk/problems/pet-bereavement. Confidential emotional support for pet bereavement.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. https://afsp.org.

Crisis Text Line. https://www.crisistextline.org.

Financial Assistance Information. https://www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/yourvet/financial-assistance-veterinary-care-costs.

Green Pet Burial. https://greenpetburial.org. Promoting green pet burial sites.

Pet Loss Resources. Funeral Wise. https://www.funeralwise.com/pet-loss/resources.

Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE). https://save.org.

Suicide Prevention Lifeline. https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

United States National Suicide and Crisis Hotlines. http://suicidehotlines.com/national.html.

Australia & New Zealand

Beyond Blue. https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/get-immediate-support. Suicide prevention, Australia.

Lifeline. https://www.lifeline.org.au/get-help/get-help-home. Suicide prevention, Australia.

Pet Medical Crisis. https://petmedicalcrisis.com.au. Financial assistance information, Australia.

Pets and People: Pet Loss and Grief Support and Counselling in Australia and New Zealand. https://petsandpeople.com.au. Home page.
https://petsandpeople.com.au/pet-loss-counselling/new-zealands-first-pet-loss-support-hotline. New Zealand.

Services for Cat Owners. https://www.cats.org.nz/services-for-cat-owners. Services for cat owners in dire need in Canterbury, New Zealand, including financial assistance.

Suicide Prevention Australia. https://www.suicidepreventionaust.org/contact-us.

South Africa

LifeLine Johannesburg. https://www.lifelinejhb.org.za/Suicide.ashx. Mental health crisis (including suicidal thoughts).

South Africa Suicide Hotlines. http://www.suicide.org/hotlines/international/south-africa-suicide-hotlines.html.

The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA). https://www.pdsa.org.za/services. Charitable support in pet care (tariff applies).

The South African Depression and Anxiety Group. http://www.sadag.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=365:coping-with-loss-battling-bereavement-and-depression&catid=68&Itemid=132. Help with anxiety and depression.