If you're newly grieving, please start here.
HeirSong is one small studio. The organizations below are larger, free, and staffed by trained people. If you are in the rawest part of grief, please reach for them first.
An international nonprofit dedicated to pet loss and bereavement. They run trained chat support and an extensive resource library, and have been doing this work since 1997. aplb.org
A free phone hotline staffed by veterinary students under faculty supervision. Available certain evenings each week — they will call you back if you leave a message. vet.cornell.edu
In-home pet hospice and end-of-life care, with a thoughtful library of grief resources whether or not you used their services. lapoflove.com
A long-running peer community for the bereaved, with monitored forums and a tribute archive. Sometimes it helps to read other people's stories before writing your own. rainbowsbridge.com
Many veterinary practices keep a list of local grief counselors and pet-loss support groups. If you used a vet for end-of-life care, they often know who's nearby and trustworthy.
Some longer reading, when you're ready.
HeirSong publishes a small number of carefully written articles on grief. They're free, no email required. Read them in any order, or none.
Why pet loss can hit harder than you expected
The clinical name for it is disenfranchised grief. The everyday name for it is "I didn't know I'd be this wrecked over a dog." Both names are right.
What the first week of pet grief actually feels like
A plain-language guide to the first seven days. What's normal. What's overwhelming but not abnormal. What helps. What doesn't, even though everyone tells you it will.
How to hold a small ceremony at home
Not all grief needs a service. But some does, and most homes don't have one ready. A guide to making a small, dignified, at-home ceremony — secular or spiritual, alone or with people.
Anniversaries, and why they don't get easier the way people promise
The one-month mark. The six-month mark. The first birthday. The first holiday. Why these dates have weight, and what other people have done with them.