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

Michigan State University, College of Veterinary Medicine
Clinical Center, C-100 East Lansing, MI 48824
(517) 353-5064
Email: walshaw@pilot.msu.edu
Contact: Sally Walshaw, M.A., V.M.D.
This support group is led by a psychologist or a clinical social worker on the first Tuesday of each month at 7:00pm in the Veterinary Medical Center.

Joan Fischer, Ph.D.
1637 West Big Beaver, Suite C
Troy, MI 48084
(248) 649-4177
Email: Petmemories@aol.com

PET LOSS CEMETERIES AND CREMATORIES

Bay City: Fogelsonger Pet Cremation Service, 1617 Lewis St., Bay City, MI 48706-2341, (517) 686-6881

Berkley: Garden of Our Little Friends Pet Cemetery, Woodward at Twelve Mile Rd., Berkley, MI 48072, (810) 541-4908 (Note: if this area code is not correct, try 586)

Byron Center: Sleepy Hollow Pet Cemetery, 2941 64th St. SW, Byron Center, MI 49315-9436, (616) 538-6050

Clarke Lake: Partridge Enterprises Pet Crematory & Cemetery, 4705 Industrial Dr., Clark Lake, MI 49234, (800) 968-7387, rodneyp2@gate.net, http://www.partridge-ent.com/

Clinton Township: Garden of Our Little Friends Pet Cemetery, 38300 Garfield Rd., Clinton Township, MI 48038-3424, (586) 286-4426

Clinton Township: Harperlawn Pet Memorial Gardens, 33711 Harper Ave., Clinton Township, MI 48035-4216, (586) 792-3030

Clinton Township: Metropolitan Memorial Pet Gardens Cemetery, 22931 E 14 Mile Rd., Clinton Township, MI 48035-4229, (586) 792-3466

Dearborn Heights: Ford Road Animal Clinic, 23520 Ford Road, Dearborn Heights, MI 48127, (313) 562-3422 (does cremations)

Detroit: Garden of Our Little Friends Pet Cemetery & Crematory, 19975 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48203-1042, (313) 368-0013

Dimondale: Country Meadows Pet Cemetery, 6220 Creyts Road, Dimondale, MI 48821, (517) 646-8043

Faithful Companion Memorials, 4900 Fernlee Avenue, Royal Oak, Michigan 48073, 248-435-7500

Flushing: Pet Rest Gardens, 7185 Gillette Rd., Flushing, MI 48433, (810) 659-6114, http://Petrest.com, petloss@petrest.com

Grand Rapids: Noah's Gardens-Pet Cemetery, 2727 Orange Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546, (616) 949-1390

Howell: Heavenly Acres Pet Cemetery & Crematory, 501 S Kellogg Rd., Howell, MI 48843-9013, (517) 546-2322

Kalamazoo: Gleason E-Mar Pet Cemetery, 1680 N. 3rd St., Kalamazoo, MI 49009, (616) 372-1611

Kalamazoo: Precious Pets, 6080 Stadium Dr., Kalamazoo, MI 49009, 269-217-9594, info@preciouspet.com

Lake City: Partridge Enterprise North, 9771 Wilson Rd., Lake City, MI 49651, 1-877-898-7102, rodneyp2@gate.net, http://www.partridge-ent.com/

Monroe: Monroe Pet Cemetery, 15339 S. Telegraph Rd., Monroe, MI 48161-4071, (313) 242-4911 Ortonville: Pet Memorial Park, 2275 S Ortonville Rd., Ortonville, MI 48462-8548, (810) 627-3368 (Note: if this area code is not correct, try 586)

Oshtemo: Gleason/E-Mar Pet Cemetery, 1680 N 3rd, Oshtemo, MI 49077, (616) 372-1611

Plymouth: Gateway to Animal Heaven, 4800 Curtis Rd., Plymouth, MI 48170-5130, (313) 662-8902

Rockville: Oak Haven Crematorium Pet Cemetery, 10950 Northland Dr. NE, Rockford, MI 49341-8627, (616) 866-2295

Saginaw: Memorial Pet Cemetery, 3764 Hackett Rd., Saginaw, MI 48603-9674, (517) 792-6118

Saginaw: Riverside Crematorium for Pets, 1855 Midland Rd., Saginaw, MI 48603-4341, (517) 799-6490

Taylor: AAA Dog & Cat Cemetery & Crematory, 25280 Pennsylvania Rd., Taylor, MI 48180-5028, (313) 946-5555

Westland: Garden of Our Little Friends, 34224 Ford Road, Westland, MI 48185, (734) 721-7161

Ypsilanti: Whispering Pines Pet Cemetery, 201 Holmes Rd., Ypsilanti, MI 48198, (734) 547-0083, http://www.whisperingpinespetcemetery.com/, ray@aboutgims.com

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.