pet loss support

Losing a daily companion can be a difficult and even painful experience.  Remember that you are not alone.   It is hard to come home to a quieter place without your loving pet there to greet you.   Please take the time to grieve.  
 Understand that your feelings are normal and that each of us experiences grief in different ways:  guilt, anger, sadness, relief, confusion, disbelief, etc.  Remember to take care of yourself.  Don't be afraid or embarrassed to seek support from friends, family, co-workers or even a neighbor.  Here are some resources that might be helpful:

SF Suicide Prevention:  415-781-0500 or sfsuicide.org or dial "988" from any phone. 

our favorite short videos :

in person  (*may be virtual or online)

support groups:
San Francisco (*resuming December 2020)
SFSPCA , 415-554-3000,  243 Alabama Street, SF, CA 94110
1st Tuesday of the month, 7pm-8:30pm, sfspca.org/resources/pet-loss-support
Pet Cloud - Pet-Loss & Bereavement Counseling, 833-PET-1234, P.O. Box 15931, SF, CA  94115, PetCloud.pet. 
Berkeley
East Bay Humane Society, 2700 Ninth Street, Berkeley, CA, 3rd Tuesday of the month,
berkeleyhumane.org/community-resources
Burlingame
Peninsula Humane Society, 650-340-7022, ext.327, 1450 Rollins Rd., Burlingame, 2nd Thursday of the month, 7-8:30pm, phs-spca.org/grief​
San Rafael
Pet Emergency & Specialty Center of Marin, 901 E. Francisco Blvd., San Rafael, CA, 3rd Thursday of the month, 7:00-8:30pm, pescm.com/pet-loss
Novato
Marin Humane Society, 415-526-5699, 171 Bel Marin Keys Blvd., Novato, CA, 1st Monday of the month, 6:00-7:30pm. 
Dublin
Hope Hospice, 925-829-8770, 6377 Clark Avenue, Dublin, CA, 2nd and 4th Monday of the month, 7:00-8:30pm, hopehospice.com/grief-support-center/programs-and-classes
Walnut Creek
Animal Rescue Foundation/Hospice of the East Bay, 2890 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 2nd Tuesday of the month, 5:30-7:00pm, arflife.org/pet-loss-support-group

on the phone

ASPCA Pet Loss Hotline:  877-GRIEF-10 (877-474-3310)
Nikki Hospice Foundation for Pets Help Line:  707-557-8595
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: 607-253-3932
Washington State University, School of Veterinary Medicine, Pet Loss Hotline: 866-266-8635
SUICIDE PREVENTION Crisis Line: 415-781-0500

by email

Washington State University, School of Veterinary Medicine, Pet Loss Hotline: [email protected]

online resources

one-on-one counseling:
Krystal Koop, MSW, ACSW - krystalkoop.com (based in SF, CA)
Kevin Ringstaff - PetCloud: petcloud.pet
Hana Mari Mäkinen - End and After Animal Communications: endandafter.com/
Kelly Gendreau, LMFT - Rainbow Bridge Pet Loss: rainbowbridgehealing.com
free support groups:
Mondays, 2nd & 4th, 7-8:30pm PST: Michele Shimamura (925) 683-8463
Mondays, 3rd, 6-7pm PST: Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter (FAAS) - [email protected]
Tuesdays, 2nd, 6:30-7:30pm PST: Cindy Buck (650) 302-6012
Tuesdays, 3rd, 7-8:30pm PST: Jill Goodfriend (510) 393-1359
live group sessions:
The Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement: aplb.org/
Hana Mari Mäkinen - End and After Animal Communications: endandafter.com/
Pet Cloud: petcloud.pet
Rainbow Bridge Pet Loss Grief Support Chat Room: rainbowbridge.com/Grief_Support_Center/Petloss_Grief_Support_Chat.htm
Rainbow Bridge Pet Loss: Kelly Gendreau, LMFT - rainbowbridgehealing.com
rabbits:
House Rabbit Society - SF Bay Area Center: center.houserabbit.org/services/classes/
websites:
Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement: aplb.org/
Losing Lulu (Facebook): facebook.com/groups/losinglulu/
Pet Cloud:  petcloud.pet
Pet Grief Support and Candle Ceremony: petloss.com
Pet Loss Help: petlosshelp.org
Pet Loss Support Page: pet-loss.net
Pet Memory Project: petmemoryproject.com
Pet Soul Grief and Loss Support (Facebook): facebook.com/groups/1024115891330510
PVC: Coping With the Loss of a Pet - Support Group (Facebook): facebook.com/groups/739466563141011
RainbowBridge: rainbowsbridge.com
Chance’s Spot: chancesspot.org/pet-loss-support/index.php
Cornell University College of Vet Medicine: vet.cornell.edu/about-us/outreach/pet-loss-support-hotline
Nikki Hospice Foundation for Pets: pethospice.org
Washington State University, School of Veterinary Medicine: vetmed.wsu.edu/PetLoss
SUICIDE PREVENTION: sfsuicide.org

books

The Loss of a Pet: A Guide to Coping with the Grieving Process When a Pet Dies by Wallace Sife
Grieving the Death of a Pet by Betty J. Carmack
Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Every Lost a Pet by Gary Kowalski
When Your Pet Dies: A Guide to Mourning, Remembering and Healing by Alan D. Wolfelt, PhD, CT
The Pet Loss Companion by Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio and Nancy Saxton-Lopez
Pet Loss and Human Bereavement by Kay, Neiburg, Kutscher, Grey and Fudin
The Human-Animal Bond and Grief by Lagoni, Butler and Hetts
Pet Loss: A Thoughtful Guide for Adults and Children by Nieburg and Fisher

for children

websites:
The Association for Pet Loss & Bereavement: aplb.org/support/children_and_pet_loss.php
Pet Cloud: petcloud.pet
Rainbow Bridge - Helping a Child Cope with Pet Loss: rainbowsbridge.com/Grief_Support_Center/Grief_Support/Chrildren_and_petloss.htm

YouTube is a great resource for videos such as this one:
Losing My Pet - The Story of My Dog Leo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KtevjVDCAs
books:
The Kids Book About Pet Loss: Grieving and Healing After Losing Your Pet by Vicky Taylor
I’ll Always Love You by Hans Wilhelm
When a Pet Dies by Fred Rogers
Forever Paws by Christine Davis
Saying Goodbye to Lulu by Corinne Demas and Ard Hoyt
Good-by Max by Keller
Oh, Where Has My Pet Gone?  by Sibbutt
The Tenth Good Thing About Barney by Judith Viorst
The Invisible Leash by Patrice Karst

for other pets

Surviving companion pets can also experience grief and loss.  Click here for a short article that can help us better understand their experience.