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Pet Loss Support Materials

Pet Loss Support Materials

Saying goodbye to a beloved family friend is never easy. VHA provides member clinics with the tools and resources to help clients with pet loss and navigating through difficult times.

Two older woman in a comforting hug

Support Groups & Hotlines

Companion Animal Love, Loss, & Memories (CALLM)
The University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center offers a bereavement group to support those grieving the loss of a beloved animal. CALLM provides attendees with a supportive and confidential environment in which to share their stories. Sessions are free. Visit bit.ly/CALLM or call 612-624-9372 for registration information.

Association for Pet Loss & Bereavement

Visit www.aplb.org/chat-with-us/ for online chat and video support.

Tufts University Pet Loss Hotline

Call 508-839-7966 M-F 5pm-8pm or visit: vet.tufts.edu/petloss/ for more information.

Cornell University Pet Loss Support Hotline

Call 607-218-7457 M-F 5pm-8pm, Sat-Sun 11am-8pm

Pet End of Life Support (PEOLS) Materials

VHA offers a number of free resources to help your clients manage and support their pet’s end of life. Click to download:

    • Bereavement Brochure: This brochure is designed to help your client deal with their own feelings, children’s feelings, and other pet still in the home, after the euthanasia. It provides resources for helpful books, websites, and support groups.

 

    • Assessing Quality of Life: This document is designed to help your clients determine if euthanasia is the best choice for their pet. It asks many dietary, activity, and behavioral questions that may aid your client in the difficult decision to euthanize.

 

    • Preparing for Your Pet’s Euthanasia: This document is designed to prepare your client for the day of euthanasia. It addresses scenarios such as who should be present for the procedure, what to tell children, and what to do with the pet after the procedure.

 

    • Euthanasia: This document explains the procedure and addresses many questions such as: Is it painful? Or will my pet’s eye close?

 

  • Caring Pet Cremation: This brochure is designed to inform your clients about the reputable, caring, dignified cremation company you have chosen for their beloved pet. It explains to your client the VHA’s multi-point check system process to assure they are receiving their pet’s ashes back along with a personalized cremation certificate.

 

Support Materials

A Final Act of Caring – This booklet provides comfort and encourages a pet owner to get the medical facts from the veterinarian in order to review all the options. It includes information about euthanasia and a page for you to sign or personalize.
 
A Special Place for Charlee – For children in grades 3-6, younger for reading aloud. Floppy-eared Charlee (feminine for Charlie) was already part of the family when narrator Mark was born. Boy and pup grew up together and were best friends and playmates. Years later, when Charlee needed to be euthanized because of heart failure, the entire family mourned the dog’s death. Charlee’s vet encouraged Mark to share his feelings of sadness and grief with those he loved. In fact, Mark’s family set aside a special time to sit together in the backyard and remember Charlee. They made a scrapbook to collect their memories and planted a flowering bush near Charlee’s favorite backyard spot. Yet Mark’s sadness lingered until, finally, time and an understanding neighbor helped heal his pain. This simply told story is right on the mark in legitimizing a family’s, and particularly a child’s, grief over the loss of a pet. Its sound counsel and suggestions for coping are gently incorporated into the straightforward storyline, and understated black-and-white drawings eloquently reflect the characters’ emotions.
 
Forever In My Heart – This remembrance journal is a special gift you can give to clients whose pets have died. It helps ease pet owners’ grief by remembering their pets’ lives. The journal recognizes the human-animal bond and that grieving people need to celebrate the time they spent with their pets. Written by the same authors as Good-bye My Friend and A Final Act of Caring, this sensitive book is an ideal way to show your understanding of your client’s loss. It’s an inexpensive gift and more permanent than flowers or a card. Forever in My Heart includes poetry and stories, along with spaces for pet owners to write their own stories and paste in photos.
 
Good-bye My Friend – Through personal stories of pet loss, topics such as memories, pain, grief, and helping children deal with the loss of a pet are discussed. The booklet includes a page for you to sign or personalize for your clients.
 
I Remember –  This fill-in memory book is a gentle guide for looking back at a pet’s life from the joyful beginning to the sad farewell. Space is provided for photos or drawings, recording memories, and celebrating the many ways a particular animal was so special. For adults and children alike, the completed book becomes a treasury of remembrances to live on in the heart.