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

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

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 night, 8 - 10, EST. Dr. Wallace Sife, Moderator, Ellie Waldron, Co- host, and Karen Borga and Connie Starr, Assistant Hosts

Sunday afternoon, 2 - 4, EST. Sarah Robinson, Moderator, and Valerie Brideau, Assistant Host

Monday night, 8 - 10, EST. Ursula Brower, Moderator, Sarah Robinson and Laurie Koen Co-hosts, and Sue Laue, Assistant Host

Wednesday night, 8 - 10, EST. Ellie Waldron, Moderator, Gayla Stone and Deborah Norman, Assistant Hosts

Anticipatory Chat: Thursday night, 8 - 10, EST. Lois Roach, Moderator, and Jenny Wilson, Assistant Host

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

Fircrest Counseling
Port Orchard, WA
(360) 871-1614
Contact: Mary M. Harvey, BA
Mary is a Certified Bereavement Facilitator through the American Academy of Bereavement. She has provided grief and loss counseling to individuals and groups for ten years, focusing on the relationship between humans and animals. Support groups and telephone consultations are available.

People-Pet Partnership Pet Loss Partnership
College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University
Box 6470l0 Pullman, WA 99164-7010
(509) 335-1303, TDD: (509) 335-1179
E-Mail: DAMartin@mail.wsu.edu
Contact: Daun Martin
Daun Martin has an M.S. in Family Studies for San Diego State University (1976) and an M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology from Washington State University (1996). She provides pet loss counseling via face-to-face sessions, telephone calls and written communication. An information packet is sent to each contact at no charge.

Airone Counseling
545 Rainier Boulevard, N. Suite 16, Issaquah, WA 98027
(425) 557-7898
Contact: Carol Airone
Ms. Airone is a Nationally Certified Counselor, State Certified Mental Health Counselor and Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist. She offers a warm, comforting environment to help those facing or enduring the loss of a pet.

Humane Society & SPCA of Seattle/King County Pet Loss Support Group
13212 S.E. Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98005-4492
(206) 641-0080
This group meets on the first and third Saturdays of the month from 10:00am to 12:00noon.

Susan J. Perry, MSW
3047 78th Avenue SE, Suite 200, Mercer Island, WA 98040
(206) 236-1544
Email: perbirxped@aol.com
Ms. Perry has twelve years of experience working with individuals and couples on issues related to the human-animal bond. She counsels people and co-teaches classes on end-of-life decisions with companion animals including pet loss. Ms. Perry also offers workshops on coping with the process of pet loss.

Pet Loss Counseling
2222 State Ave NE, Suite B, Olympia, WA 98506
(360) 236-1346
Message: (360) 786-6657
Contact: Gloria J. Roettger, M.S., CMHC
Ms. Roettger has provided pet loss counseling since 1984 and has worked with individuals, couples, children, and families. She offers supportive counseling for persons dealing with the decision of euthanasia, coping with the disappearances of a pet and for those grieving their pet's death. She also provides telephone consultations and is available for presentations and workshops.

Pet Loss Partnership
Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Pullman, Washington
(509) 335-4569

Letitia Gray, MA in Counseling Psychology
406 main Street #101B
Edmonds, WA 98020
(425) 745-2750

PET LOSS CEMETERIES AND CREMATORIES

Aberdeen: Petland Cemetery, , P.O. Box 184, Aberdeen WA 98520, (800) 738-5119

Bellevue:The Humane Society for Seattle/King County, 13212 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98005, (425) 641-0080

Bothell: Mill Creek Pet Cemetery, 19816 Bothell Everett Hwy, Bothell, WA 98012-7122, (206) 483-1698

Burlington: Country Rest Pet Cemetery, 10252 District Line RD, Burlington, WA 98233, (360) 757-2671

Colbert: Family Pet Memorial Garden, Colbert, WA 99005, (509) 467-4248

Kent: Pet Haven Cemetery, 23646 Military Rd. S, Kent, WA 98032-2833, (206) 878-7292

Spokane: Animal Clinic of Spokane, 6322 N. Wall St, Spokane, WA 99208, (509) 467-7100

Tacoma: Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County, 2608 Center St, Tacoma, WA 98409, (253) 383-2733

Wenatchee: Columbia Pet Service, 1466 S. Wenatchee Ave, Wenatchee, WA 98801, (509) 664-2963

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.