Bereaving the Loss of a Beloved Dog: Getting Help

TOLL FREE! PET LOSS HOTLINES

Grief Recovery Hotline
(800) 445-4808
Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm PST

The Iams Pet Loss Support Center & Hotline
(888) 332-7738 Monday thru Saturday, 8am to 8pm

Iowa State University Pet-Loss Support Hotline
(888) 478-7574
Staffed by Volunteers of the Iowa State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital http://www.vetmed.iastate.edu/support/
September thru April: 7 days a week, 6pm to 9pm CST
May thru August: Monday, Wednesday & Friday, 6pm to 9pm CST

College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois
C.A.R.E. Pet Loss Helpline
(877) 394-2273
http://net.cvm.uiuc.edu/CARE/
The C.A.R.E. Helpline is staffed by veterinary students who have have received training from grief counselors. They also receive supervision from a licensed psychologist.

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) National Pet Loss Hotline
424 East 92nd St., New York, NY 10128
(800) 946-4646, 24 hours a day - use your keypad to punch in the pin number 140-7211 and then your own phone number. The call will be returned immediately.
Contact: Stephanie LaFarge, Ph.D
New York City residents may be seen in person at the ASPCA headquarters.

University of California - Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, Pet Loss Support Hotline
(800) 565-1526
6:30pm to 9:30pm PST Monday thru Friday
Summer Hours: 6:30pm to 9:30pm PST Tuesday thru Thursday
Calls may be returned collect if no counselor is currently available.

Pet Loss Support Pet Friends
(800) 404-PETS
P.O. Box 131
Moorestown, NJ 08057-0131
Long distance calls will be returned collect.

University of Florida Pet Loss Support Hotline, Gainesville
(352) 392-4700, Ext. 4080
Staffed by University of Florida Veterinary students
Calls will be returned 7pm to 9pm EST
Website - http://neuro.vetmed.ufl.edu/alt_med/petgrief/petloss.htm
This hotline will call back anyone, anywhere, at no cost to the caller.

The Chicago Veterinary Medical Association Pet Loss Support Helpline
Emil and Mary Baukert. C/O Riser Animal Hospital, 5335 W. Touhy Ave., Skokie, IL 60077
(630) 603-3994
This Helpline was established in 1993. It provides referral materials on professional grief counseling and information packets on the areas of children & grief, euthanasia, pet loss & the elderly, and a pet loss bibliography. A volunteer will pick up voice messages and call back between 7pm and 9pm CST every evening. Long distance calls will be returned collect.

Companion Animal Association of Arizona Pet Grief Support Hotline
P.O. Box 5006, Scottsdale, AZ 85261-5006
(602) 995-5885
This helpline is operated by trained volunteers 24 hours a day. Long distance calls will be returned collect.

Delta Society Pet Loss Support Hotline
Palm Springs Network
146 Pali, Palm Springs, Ca 92264
(619) 320-3298

Michigan State University Pet Loss Support, College of Veterinary Medicine
Clinical Center, C-100 East Lansing, MI 48824
(517) 353-5064
Contact: Sally Walshaw, M.A., V.M.D.
The Hotline is staffed by veterinary student volunteers from 6:30pm to 9:30pm EST on Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays.

Tufts University Pet Loss Support Hotline
(508) 839-7966
Hours: Monday thru Friday, 6:00pm to 9:00 pm EST

Companion Animal Hospital Pet Loss Support Hotline
Box 35, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-6401
(607) 253-3932
Hours: 6:00pm to 9:00pm EST, Tuesday thru Thursday

The Ohio State University Pet Loss Hotline
(614) 292-1823
This hotline is in operation Monday, Wednesday & Friday, 6:30pm to 9:30pm CST.

Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine Pet Loss Support Hotline
(540) 231-8038
Hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 6:00pm to 9:00pm EST

The Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement's Chat Rooms are designed to provide a safe and supportive haven for those who have lost a beloved animal companion. Discussions are not ones for social chatting, as they are solely designated to cover topics related to pet loss and bereavement. It is important to note that while these chat rooms are caring and highly effective discussions, they should not be confused with clinical psychological counseling sessions. Rather, the focus is solely on pet bereavement. Although the tone is one of compassion and constructive supportiveness, this association cannot always regulate the variables that may arise in such an environment. In addition, advice or other considerations that are offered should not be construed as part of a professional counseling session. Those who are newly bereaved and visiting a chat room for the first time should try to come in as early as possible. In that way, more individual attention can be provided as chats can get crowded later on in the sessions.

Friday: 8-11pm EST: Dr. Wallace Sife, Moderator and Ellie Waldron, Co-host

Wednesday: 8-11pm EST: Ellie Waldron, Moderator and Ursula Brower, Co-host

Sunday: 2-5pm EST: Ursula Brower, Moderator

Monday: 8-11pm EST: Ursula Brower, Moderator

Dr. Sife, Ellie, and Ursula can be reached at aplb@aplb.org if you are in deep bereavement and need to communicate before their next scheduled chat time.

PET LOSS SUPPORT GROUPS & COUNSELORS

Animal Bereavement Center
P.O. Box 1376, Summit, NJ 07901
(973) 829-1967
Email: Carolynrev@aol.com
Rev. Carolyn Carpenter, M.S.C. and Nancy Saxton-Lopez, LCSW, MSW
Reverend Carolyn Carpenter and Nancy Saxton-Lopez have specialized in pet loss issues for 10 years. They offer individual and group counseling, a weekly pet loss support group, memorials and rituals, and interspecies communication.

Davison Counseling Center - Pet Loss & Lifespan Transitions Counseling
97 Lyons Pl., Basking Ridge, NJ 07920
(908) 766-0110
Email: petlossaudio@worldnet.att.net
Web site: www.petlossaudio.com
Contact: Deborah Antinori, M.A., RDT, LPC, NBCCH - Directory of Therapy
Ms. Antinori assists clients in dealing with the loss of a pet including: issues arising from the loss, coping with feelings, anticipatory loss with an elderly or terminally ill animal, and planning a ceremonial euthanasia.

Pet Loss Center of New Jersey
41 Pleasant Avenue, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
(201) 825-0730
Contact: Dr. Joann Jarolman
Joann Jarolman is a licensed clinical social worker in New Jersey with a Ph.D. in social work. She deals with children, adults & families experiencing the loss of a pet.

Claire Caines, MSW
Caines Center For Psychotherapy
268 Green Village Road
Green Village, NJ 07935
(973) 301-2440
Fax: 973-300-1380
Website: http://www.cainescenter.com/

Julie Silverman, MS, Ph.D. Candidate
32 E. Lake Blvd.
Morristown, NJ 07960
(973) 539-3803
Email: spitri@aol.com

JoAnn Jarolmen, Ph.D.
41 Pleasant Avenue
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
(201) 825-0730
Email: Jjarolmen@aol.com

PET LOSS CEMETERIES AND CREMATORIES

Berlin: Pet Lawn Memorial Park, 571 Rt 73N, P.O. Box 222, Berlin NJ, 08009, (856) 767-1564, http://www.petlawn.com, petlawncem@aol.com

Blairstown: Blairstown Pet Cemetery, 64 Cedar Lake Rd., Blairstown, NJ 07825-9647, (908) 362-6006

Cliffside Park: Bergen Hudson Pet Animal Mortuary, 51-B Palisade Ave., Cliffside Park, NJ 07010-2725, (201) 941-1314

Forked River: Humane Society, Humane Way, Forked River, NJ, (609) 693-1900

Hamilton: Hamilton Pet Meadow, 1500 Klockner Rd, Hamilton, NJ 08619, (609) 586-9660, http://www.petmeadow.com, dbjorling@petmeadow.com

Lafayette: Abbey Glen Pet Memorial Park., 187 Route 94, Lafayette, NJ 07848, (973) 579-2171, (800) 972-3118; http://www.abbeyglen.com/

Lafayette: Pleasant Plains Pet Crematory, RR 2, Lafayette, NJ 07848-9802, (201) 579-2171

Mahwah: Snow Mountain Pet Cemetery, 30 Snow Mountain Ave., Mahwah, NJ 07430, (201) 512-1366

Manahawkin: Dearest Pet Memorial Cemetery , 10 Letts Ave., Manahawkin, NJ 08050-3139, (609) 597-8458

Merchantville: Pet Lawn Memorial Park, Merchantville, NJ 08109, (609) 663-1508

Neptune: Stillmeadow Animal Rest Cemetery, Neptune, NJ 07753, (908) 775-2848

New Providence: St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 419 S. St., New Providence, NJ 07974-2194 (908) 464-4875, http://www.standrewschurch.org/

Succasunna: Animal Rest Pet Crematory, 1901 US Hwy. #46, Succasunna, NJ 07876, (201) 691-1771

Vineland: Petland Cemetery & Funeral Home, 1155 E. Wheat Road, Vineland, NJ 08360, (856) 696-1177

The above resources only serve as a guide. Although I am a Nationally Certified School Psychologist published in the field of human loss and bereavement (Stress and Illness in the Family: A Linear versus Family Life Space Perspective; The Child with Cancer: A Life Space Study of Six Families), I do not have personal knowledge of the expertise of any of those persons or facilities providing these pet loss services.