Useful Links | West Hempstead Animal Hospital

Every pet owner eventually experiences the pain of saying good-bye to a faithful companion. The grieving process takes time, although the time frame is different for each person.

Sometimes the grief is overwhelming, and a person might find coping difficult. Our staff is always here to lend an ear and to try to offer suggestions to help ease the sadness, but some people might need a little more assistance. For these times, we offer the following support groups and websites:

Long Island Veterinary Specialists

163 South Service Road.
Plainview, NY

www.livs.org

516-501-1700

LIVS offers support for pet loss. Monthly meetings are held at their location and are open to all who have experienced loss or anticipating loss. Please call before attending. Telephone and email counseling is available. For additional information, please email: info@livs.org

Animal Medical Center

510 East 62nd St.
Manhattan, NY.

www.amcny.org

212-838-8100

Animal Medical Center provides numerous opportunities for support if you are experiencing grief due to the loss of a pet loss. Please refer to their website for additional info: https://www.amcny.org/pet-loss-support-program/

Other Pet Loss Hotlines

Cornell University, Pet Loss Support Hotline – 607-218-7457

ASPCA Grief Counseling- (212) 876-7700 ext. 4355 or 1-877-GRIEF-10 (1-877-474-3310)

Pet Loss Support Hotline at Tufts University- (508) 839-7966

Chicago Veterinary Medical Association, Pet Loss Support: CVMA Pet Loss Helpline – (630) 325-1600

University of Pennsylvania Pet Support Resources

Pet Loss Resources For Children

Books

Bryan Mallonie & Robert Ingpen, Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children, 1983, New York: Bantam Books; death as part of the life cycle
Debbie Morehead, A Special Place for Charlee: A Child’s Companion through Pet Loss, 1996, Broomfield CO: Partners in Publishing, LLC; story of dog’s aging and death, kind veterinarian
Fred Rogers, When a Pet Dies, reissue 1998, 1988, New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons; color photos, including veterinarian’s office, multi-cultural
Susan Varley, Badger’s Parting Gifts, 1984, New York: William Morrow & Company; after his death, Badger’s (Wind in the Willows) sad friends begin to feel better as they remember things he taught them
Judith Viorst, The Tenth Good Thing about Barney, 1971, New York: Macmillan Publishing Company; young boy loses his cat, ceremony and burial
E. B. White & Garth Williams, Charlotte’s Web, 1999, 1952, New York: Harpercollins Juvenile Books (also on audiotape & videotape); farm girl saves life of piglet, spider befriends & saves his life again, pig mourns spider’s death from old age
Hans Wilhelm, I’ll Always Love You, 1989, New York: Crown Publishing; one day a boy’s dachshund doesn’t wake up

Faith Based Books

Nechama Liss-Levinson, PhD & Rev. Molly Phinney Baskette, Remembering My Pet: A Kid’s Own Spiritual Workbook for When a Pet Dies, 2007, Woodstock VT: SkyLight Paths Publishing; interactive workbook with spaces for pictures, thoughts, as well as narrative about feelings, beliefs; good for children of any faith or none at all
Elizabeth Jane Coatsworth & LyndWard, The Cat who Went to Heaven, 1983, 1931, New York: Simon & Schuster; poor artist is commissioned to paint a picture of animals biding farewell to the Buddha, his beloved cat wants to be included, even though according to legend, cats weren’t there
Christine Davis, For Every Dog an Angel, 1997, Portland OR: Lighthearted Press; every dog has a guardian angel, even after death, keeping watch till “forever person” joins pet
Cynthia Rylant, Cat Heaven, 1997, New York: Scholastic Press; what heaven is like for cats. . . they all sleep on God’s bed

List of reading and video material graciously provided by Dr. Susan Cohen