Pet Loss Support Groups

Certified by the Grief Recovery Institute, our Specialists can work with individuals looking for pet loss support.

If you are reading this page of our website, that likely means that you, or someone close to you, is suffering from a broken heart as the result of the loss of a special pet. That sense of loss and the emotional pain that you are feeling is a very normal and natural reaction!

Grief is emotional, not logical.

The grief that comes with any emotional loss can be overwhelming and also very isolating. Often people find that those they normally count on for emotional support are at a total loss when it comes to offering effective and meaningful assistance. This is particularly true when it comes to the loss of a pet. Most people would never consider telling someone who had lost a child or a parent to “go out and get a new one,” but that is often what they tell someone who has just lost their very special pet companion! Pet owners (guardians) often find that the emotional pain of their loss is totally discounted by others around them.

a kitten and a puppy curled up together sleeping
a empty bowl and leash on the ground

Other friends and family may try to offer logical sounding suggestions why a pet griever should not feel sad. The problem is that Grief is emotional and not logical! You are suffering from a broken heart, not a broken head! The fact that you are seeking help in dealing with that emotional pain is not a sign of weakness, but rather a recognition on your part that you are interested in taking recovery action!

Grief Recovery Method Groups For Pet Loss

Our 6-meeting Grief Recovery Method Support Groups For Pet Loss are designed to help you address all of those emotional feelings that are unique to your individual loss and grief. You can choose to work in-person or online. A Grief Recovery Method Specialist who has used the exact same tools to deal with loss in his or her own life leads each group. Our program will take you through a number of steps to help you fully discover and address those things that you wish might have been different, better, or more in your relationship with your beloved pet. It is this “unfinished business” that often gets in the way of enjoying fond memories. Doing this work will allow the griever the chance to say “good bye” to their relationship with this special pet, thereby making it comfortable to build a relationship with a new pet, if they choose to do so! If you don't find someone in your area for in-person work - please consider the online option.

The loss of a pet can be emotionally devastating. Sadly, the impact of the heartbreak of this type of loss is often downplayed or ignored by friends and family. This 6-meeting program is focused on offering pet owners an effective mechanism for taking action to move through and beyond their grief.

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Do you know someone in need of help?

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These are the things that our Grief Recovery Method Groups For Pet Loss Groups have to offer:

  • These groups are pet loss specific, which means that you will be surrounded by others who have also lost pets and have an understanding of the depth of that kind of emotional pain.
  • This approach allows you to work with a Grief Recovery Method Specialist, certified and trained by The Grief Recovery Institute, in a group setting
  • Each of these six meetings will last roughly two hours.
  • Your Specialist will take you through each step of the Grief Recovery Method, utilizing the materials spelled out in “The Grief Recovery Handbook For Pet Loss.”
a woman hugging a horse
older dog looking at camera
  • While you may come into this program with a specific loss in mind, your Specialist will lead you through the process of looking at all of the pet losses that have touched you throughout your life, so that you can be focused on the one that has impacted you to the greatest degree.
  • Even though you are working in a group setting, your personal focus will be in dealing with the issues of your specific and personal loss.
  • These groups include a weekly commitment to total honestly and absolute confidentiality, so that you can comfortably share your feelings
Book cover of Grief recovery handbook for pet loss
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The Grief Recovery Handbook for Pet Loss

“For the past forty-four years as a practicing veterinarian, I have wished there was a book I could recommend to my clients to deal with their broken hearts when their pets have died. Finally, The Grief Recovery Handbook for Pet Loss is available to help them deal directly with their emotions, at the time they most need it."
~ Dr. Suresh V. Dogra, DVM, Aloror Pet Clinic, Studio City, California

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“Finally, a safe place where I could cry and openly talk about my pet losses and not feel judged or crazy. Why was this grief for my dogs more paralyzing to me than I had for some “human” relatives I recently lost?...There are no words to adequately describe how Gwen helped me through the most difficult time in my life. The key to this program was having an experienced and compassionate listener who made me feel safe and comfortable when I was pouring my heart and soul out. This program will help you gain valuable tools and insight to help you decide if and when you want to welcome another pet into your life. My heart is at peace now. Yes, I still get sad every so often but I don’t get “stuck” in that sadness like I use to. I can now recall stores of Oreo and Spencer and smile (or even shed a few tears) because my heart is no longer shattered." - Verified participant in New York”

The relationships we form with our pets are often some of the closest and deepest connections we form in life. Each of these relationships are so very special and unique, as are the feelings of unconditional love we experience from our beloved friends. The Grief Recovery Method Pet Loss Program provides helpful information and proven tools to effectively help you with the emotional pain surrounding loosing a beloved pet.

Don't wait any longer.