One of the disadvantages of loving pets is they often leave us before we are ready for them to go. Sometimes because of illness, sometimes because of old age, and sometimes because of accidents. People handle their grief in different ways. Some need to go get another pet right away to love and to help them heal.  Others may take years before they are ready to love another animal. It often helps to talk to people who have lost an animal, to share stories of how wonderful they make our lives, and to post memorials about them.

This page is dedicated to Larry and Elizabeth and their sweet Yorkie "Snookums" who left their lives and made me realize that these resources should be readily available to anyone who seeks them.

These phone numbers and links are offered as resources to help with your grief if you have lost a beloved pet. We hope you can find some comfort from calling or visiting these sites. Please note that these listings are provided for information only; they are not recommendations nor endorsements.

Local Support

petgriefsupportgroup.com - a local pet support group that meets at the Seigle Avenue Presbyterian Church in uptown Charlotte. The purpose of this program is to provide a safe, non-judgemental setting in which individuals can share their personal experiences of pet loss and to discuss the common signs of grief that people may experience as they cope with the loss of their pet. Meetings are held the second Thursday of each month from 7:00 to 8:30 pm.

National Support Hotlines and Veterinary School Resources:


The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) National Pet Loss Hotline
Phone: (212) 876-7700, ext. 4355

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine
(Tuesday - Thursday, 6-9 pm, Eastern Time)
607-253-3932
http://www.vet.cornell.edu/Org/PetLoss/

University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
(weekdays, 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm, Pacific Time)
1-800-565-1526
530-752-4200
http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/CCAH/petloss_losing.cfm

University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine
Pet Grief Support of America
(weekdays, 7 pm to 9 pm, Eastern Time)
1-800-798-6196
http://www.vetmed.ufl.edu/patientcare/petlosssupport/

Michigan State University CVM
(Tuesday to Thursday, 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm, ET)
517-432-2696
http://cvm.msu.edu/petloss/index.htm

Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine
(Monday through Friday, 6 pm to 9 pm, Eastern Time)
508-839-7966
http://www.tufts.edu/vet/petloss/

University of Illinois CVM
(Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings 7-9 pm, Central Time)
877-394- CARE
217-244-CARE
http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu/CARE/index.html

Washington State University
(staffed during the semester on Mon, Tues, Wed, and Thurs 6:30 - 9:00 PM, and Saturday 1:00-3:00 PM, Pacific Time)
509-335-5704
http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/plhl


World Wide Web Resources

The Argus Institutue at Colorado State University
http://www.argusinstitute.colostate.edu/famtoc.htm

http//:www.pet-loss.net


Books to Read

http://www.argusinstitute.colostate.edu/readtoc.htm
      This page has a number of books you might like to read.

Pet Cremation Services and Memorial Products

Charlotte Pet Cemetery and Crematory
6225 Cashion Road
Huntersville, NC 28078
(704) 875-2582 or (704) 564-2064
Fax (704) 948-3849

Good Shepherd Pet Services
303 Ross Street
Piedmont SC 29673
(864) 292-9281
1 (866) 332-3738
Fax (864) 845-5944
www.GoodShepherdPet.com

http://www.4everinmyheart.com   Link to a company that sells memorial products.

http://www.eternalimage.net/petretailers.html   Link to the American Kennel Club Pet Memorial Urn