CHILDREN AND PETS - GRIEF RESOURCES

HELPING CHILDREN WITH PET LOSS

The death of a pet is often the first experience a child has with loss.  Children tend to grieve differently than adults do and they need lots of love, guidance and support. Parents often want to shelter children from death, which is understandable but honesty can be the best thing. Each child is unique and each age group and stage of development can have different reactions.  We’ve put together a list of links as well as books that will help you explain your pet’s death to your children and provide you with things you can do together to help them through their grief and begin to heal. 

Websites for Grieving Children

• Helping Children Cope by Moira Anderson Allen M.E.d

• Grief Healing - Marty Tousley, RN, MS, FT, DCC (Distance Credentialed Counselor).  The site offers a wide variety of grief healing related articles, a blog, discussion group and healing courses, including support for children

• Colorado State University Argus Institute: Helping Children Deal with Pet Loss- How different age groups deal with death and developmental considerations for different age groups

• North Carolina State University Veterinary Hospital Family and Community Services page including information on helping children through pet loss, support groups and other helpful resources

• Chance’s Spot: Pet Loss and Grief Support including support for children

• RainbowBridge.com Grief Support Center: Children and Pet Loss

• Ohio State University Article - Helping Children Cope with the Serious Illness or Death of a Companion Animal

• Community- Helping Kids Deal with The Loss of a Pet

Websites with Activities to Help Grieving Children and Ideas to Memorialize Their Pet

• Psychology Today: Six Family Friendly Ways to Help Kids Grieve After Pet Loss

• Kidlutions: Remembering a Beloved Pet - Memorial worksheet to do with children.

• 5 Activities to Help Kids Cope with Pet Loss

• Helping Children Cope with the Death of a Pet- Includes ideas kids can help with to memorialize their pet.

Books to Help Grieving Children

• Death of a Pet by Shirl and J.W. Potter, and George J. Koss

• Children and Pet Loss: A Guide for Helping by Marty Tousley

• Stay: A Girl, A Dog, A Bucket List by Kate Klise

• Remembering Baymore by Peter Gollub, DVM

• When a Pet Dies by Fred Rogers

• Cry, Heart, but Never Break by Glenn Ringtved

• Healing A Child's Pet Loss Grief: A Guide for Parents by Wendy Van de Poll

• I'll Always Love You by Hans Wilhelm

• The Tenth Good Thing About Barney by Judith Viorst

• Humphrey Was Here: A dog owner’s story of love, loss and letting go by Mark Asher

• A Rainbow Bridge for Gus: A Story About the Loss of a Pet by Barbara Bareis Rigabar and Chris Sharp

• Dog Heaven by Cynthia Ryant

• Cat Heaven by Cynthia Ryant

• My Pet Died: A Coloring Book for Grieving Children by Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D.

• The Fall of Freddie the Leaf by Leo Buscaglia 

• Saying Goodbye to a Beloved Pet: A Workbook for Kids and Guidelines for Adult Caregivers Kidlutions.com by Wendy Young, LMSW, BCD

• Don’t Say Goodbye, Just Say See You! by Patricia A. Brill, PhD

• Always Remember by Cece Meng

• The Heaven of Animals by Nancy Tillman

• The Next Place by Warren Hanson

Cats and Dogs Grieve Too

Pets grieve the loss of a companion animal or person in the home just like any other member of the family.  They may experience grief and depression just as people do. And no two pets grieve the same. You may start to see changes in their normal habits such as eating, sleeping and playtime.  Keeping to your pet’s routine and giving them extra love and support can help to get them through their mourning period.  The following links and books will help you to understand your pet’s grief and provide helpful suggestions to get them through this difficult time.

Website Resources

• Tips for Helping Your Surviving Pet Deal with a Loss

• Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital Argus Institute- How animals grieve

• University of Pennsylvania College of Veterinary Medicine Grief Support Resources- Animals Grieve Too

• Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine - Supporting Pets Who Have Lost a Friend

• Rainbowbridge.com - Do Pets Grieve?

Books

• From Sad to Glad: Helping Your Dog Survive a Loss by Phoebe Lauren