Monique Verhoef, Registered Therapeutic Counsellor, is a pet owner and able to help you with your counseling needs. Email: info@equalcounselling.com, phone: 778-724-0522
Dennis Dion, Registered Clinical Counsellor, has been supporting people facing painful losses for almost 20 years. Dennis understands the profound relationship between a pet and their owner. He provides grief counselling in the Vancouver area to help support you through the difficult time of pet bereavement. Email: info@dennisdiontherapy.com, phone: 778-839-9551
Kari-Ann Thor, M.Ed., Registered Therapeutic Counsellor, offers the pet loss support services you require with access to a support group. Email: periwinkle7@telus.net, phone: 604-253-5450
Pet Loss and Grief Support Group
A free monthly confidential group to share your journey, your memories, recent loss or upcoming farewells. Led by Monique Verhoef
located in Surrey, located in Surrey, offers some valuable resources for guidance regarding end-of-life matters pertaining to your beloved pet. Their website has two complimentary PDFs, “Pre-Planning and Pet Aftercare” and “Coping with the Loss of a Companion Animal.” Furthermore, they provide their customers with access to the Pet Compassion Careline. This dedicated helpline connects pet parents and their families with skilled, compassionate, and confidential counsellors who are proficient in English, Spanish, and French.
Veterinary Partner provides reliable and up-to-date animal health information to support you in the care of your pet. This website was established by veterinarians and experts of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN), the world’s first and largest online veterinary database and community. Read their article “Pet Loss Support Information” for a comprehensive list of online grief resources.
Petloss.com is a gentle and compassionate website for pet lovers who are grieving over the death of a pet or caring for an ill pet. Here you will find personal support, thoughtful advice, The Monday Pet Loss Candle Ceremony, Tribute Pages, healing poetry, the Rainbow Bridge Poem & much more.
The Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement (APLB) understands that navigating the waters after the loss of your beloved pet can be difficult and they want you to know that you are not alone. Their mission is to promote and expand the field of pet loss and grief support by providing pet family support services and resources that honour the human/animal bond. They have created a list of support topics, including “Anticipatory Grief,” “Understanding Euthanasia,” “Taking Care of Yourself,” “Creating a Memorial,” and “Special Populations.”
HelpGuide.org is an independent nonprofit that runs one of the world’s leading mental health websites. It provides trustworthy information to improve mental health and make healthy changes. Their article “Coping With Losing a Pet” is a comprehensive article regarding grief and pet loss.
The International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care is the leading association for pet hospice, palliative care, and euthanasia for companion animals. See their helpful articles “How to Support a Grieving Pet,” “How to Help a Child Grieving a Beloved Pet,” “How to Memorialize a Beloved Pet,” and “How to Take Care of Yourself When Grieving.”
The Colorado State University Argus Institute provides support services to help you make informed decisions about your pet’s care and to support you through this difficult process. See articles such as “How To Cope When Your Pet Is Ill,” “Grieving the Loss of a Pet,” “How Animals Grieve,” and “Moving Forward After the Loss of a Pet.”
The Ohio State University provides us with a comprehensive article with considerations for helping children with pet loss. See their article “Helping Children Cope With The Serious Illness or Death of a Companion Animal” for more information.
The death of a family pet is an important time for adults to help children express grief in emotionally healthy ways, free of shame or embarrassment. See the article titled “Helping Children With Pet Loss” for their suggestions in helping children at this difficult time.
The International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care is the leading association for pet hospice, palliative care, and euthanasia for companion animals. See their helpful article “How to Help a Child Grieving a Beloved Pet” for suggested guidance from their panel of experts.
Rambling Hound Media offers professional pet photography services in the greater Vancouver area. Please reach out to Heather to inquire about her “Tribute” sessions, which create an invaluable keepsake of the years spent with your companion.
In their own times of loss, Dr. Jeff and other members of the Lifting Stars team have found comfort in the following poems. If you have another favourite poem that has helped you through time of grief, we’d love to know about it.
