Pet Loss Grief Support
Pet Loss Web Sites
There are many web sites available to help us understand and acknowledge our loss and pay tribute to our beloved animals. We've listed what we've experienced as some of the most helpful, and also those which honor specific species or breeds. We realize there are dozens of others sites. If you know of one that you believe we really should include here, email and let us know. We'd like to thank the people behind these sites for all the love and work which is invested in creating and maintaining such projects for the benefit of animal grievers everywhere.
- In Memory of Pets ~ www.in-memory-of-pets.com
- Pet Loss Grief Support Website and Candle Ceremony ~ www.petloss.com
- Portrait of an Angel ~ www.angelbluemist.com
- Dog Heaven ~ www.dogheaven.com
- Gone to Dog Star ~ www.gonetodogstar.com
- Pet Honoring Ceremony ~ http://www.pet-honoring.com
- Lightening Strike Pet Loss Support Page ~ www.lightning-strike.com
- Tracks in the Sand ~ www.members.tripod.com/~Sandtracker/cat-tracks.html
- Superdog ~ www.superdog.com/coping-.html
Pet Portraits and Jewelry
- The Enchanting Animal Art of Elizabeth Grima
Rarely have I seen such realistic portraits of animals. She does commissions of mini pet portraits.
- Memory Stones by Jodi
Absolutely beautiful stones and jewelry in varied shapes and sizes made from the ashes of your loved one. - Lesley Heathcote ~ Pet Portrait Artist
Lesley is an extremely dedicated caregiver to the animals in her family, including a number of feral cats to whom she is devoted. She is also an exceptionally talented artist. Her portraits are so realistic it's as if the animals come alive on the canvas. This portrait is of Tigertail, a very special cat who Lesley has loved and cared for for a long time.
- Art by Karie-Ann: Animal Portraits by UK based Pet Artist and animal portrait artist Karie-Ann Cooper. Stunning pet portraits created in wonderful detail by dedicated pet portrait artist. http://www.artbykarie-ann.co.uk/
Planting Memorial Trees
& Hanging Prayer Flags in Memory of our Animals
Pet memorial Tree Planting ~ www.treegivers.com
Have a young tree planted in the state of your choice in honor of your animal. Receive an official certificate of planting and sympathy letter and card.
Prayer Flags~ purchase here
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
These beautiful prayer flags have attractive paw prints on four flags and a simple yet comforting quote on the fifth middle flag: "You have gone ahead and nothing is the same, leaving paw prints in my heart that will always remain." Text from the web site: We want to stay connected to that wonderful soul that has gone ahead of us. Let these flags be that connection.Tibetans believe the prayers of these flags become a permanent part of the universe as the images fade from exposure to the elements and the wind blows through them. Just as life moves on and is replaced by new life, our own healing can begin, our hearts can mend and find room to love another four legged friend. When we send our feelings on the wind we trust nature to turn our memories from sadness to gratitude for having loved and been loved so unconditionally.
Prayer Support and Prayer Healing Requests
Specifically for Animals:
- Prayers for Pets ~ prayersforpets.org
- Circle of Healing Purrs, Prayers and Healing Energies Especially for Cats ~ www.catanna.com/healing.htm
For Animals and People:
- The Voice for Love ~ thevoiceforlove.com/online-prayer-requests.html
- Silent Unity ~ http://www.unity.org/prayer
Urns, Ash Memorials, Caskets, Grave Markers
- Fused Memories ~ http://fusedmemories.com/handcrafted-fused-glass-keepsakes/memorials/
Beautiful glass keepsakes of jewelry and memory boxes
Windsong Memorials - www.windsong-memorials.com
Beautiful, artful memorials created from your loved ones cremation ashes. These are really lovely, special memorials.
Pets Memorialized ~ www.petsmemorialized.com
Beautiful handcrafted memorials - Petstone ~ www.4everinmyheart.com
A wide variety of beautiful memorials stones and grave markers - Everlasting Stone ~ www.everlastingstone.com
Beautiful Vermont granite pet monuments, as well as urns and caskets. - Always Remembered Pet Memorials ~ http://www.pet-memorial.net/shopping/index.php
Exquisite natural stone and granite markers for the garden - Memories Pet Crematory ~ http://sunsetcattlefarm.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=10
Located on a self-funded pet rescue farm in Toombs County, just outside of Lyons, GA
Memorials for Pets Vancouver ~ http://jbnewall.com
JB Newall Memorials would be honoured to commemorate your beloved pet's life with a handcrafted personalized memorial stone or bronze pet plaque.
Meditations
Healing Meditation which is part of the Legacies of Love audiobook by Teresa Wagner
The purpose of this meditation is to help you feel more peacefulness and reconciliation about the loss of your animal loved one, to more easily accept letting go of your physical relationship, and to strengthen your sense of connection with their spirit and your on-going love. Includes an original score of beautiful, soothing music by Roger Masson.
LuminEssence Productions
From Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer, some of the best, highest quality guided meditations I have ever found. Authors of Soul Love, Living With Joy, and Spiritual Growth, they've also made dozens of meditation tapes/cds. Titles relevant to issues of grief include releasing guilt, compassion and forgiveness, opening to telepathic ability, self love and more. Available from www.orindaben.com.
The Grief Process, Meditations for Healing by Stephen and Ondrea Levine
Though not specifically about the loss of animals, the Levine's meditations on letting go and what they call soft belly meditation, griefpoint meditation and forgivenss meditation, are some of the most powerful healing techniques for grief I have experienced. Highly Recommended
Movies and DVDs
The movies listed below hold powerful themes and points about death, dying, life after death, love and compassion. . .which sometimes can help us in our journey of understanding our own loss and grief.
This is a story of the ability of those who have died to give back, inspire, guide, rescue, heal and help others on earth because of the power of love. It is also a story about the importance and power of letting go, allowing our loved ones to move on after we've been separated due to death. The film shows that love is eternal, that love transcends death and overcomes grief, jealousy, and all pain. |
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A beautiful story showing how souls incarnate into whatever species is appropriate for their next chosen lessons on earth (i.e. humans can come back as animals). Another powerful storyline shows how at times we "leave" the ones we love when the lessons we came together to experience are complete, giving us the freedom to move on. |
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Shows the possibilities of contact after death, the continuation of love beyond death, and the importance and possibility of finishing unfinished business from the other side. As Patrick Swayze is about to make his final departure from earth after his death, he says to his beloved wife, "All the love inside, it goes with you." As he is seen moving into the light, many Spiritual beings can be seen waiting to meet him. |
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This is a powerful movie about a young man named Powder who is albino, extraordinarily intelligent and telepathic. It's a story of the pain of being different in a world that does not easily understand or accept differences, about the power of empathy and compassion to heal, and the phenomenal gifts given by this "unexpected source" of someone different from the norm (so like animals in our culture). Look for these five incredible storylines/scenes:
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A powerful story portraying life after death. Two souls who love each other deeply seek and find each other after physical death. Shows the complex layers of lessons we continue to learn, even after dying, and the importance of finishing "unfinished emotional business" in our journeys to find peace. |
The following DVDs were created by James Miller, D.Min, a clergyman, counselor and educator.
They are incredibly inspiring, uplifting and comforting, created with his beautiful photography of nature and filled with words "blending psychological truth with timeless wisdom." These videos and more comforting products on grief can be ordered from www.willowgreen.com.
We Will Remember, a Meditation for Those Who Live On: Reflective words, gentle music, absorbing photography. Its main message: our memories are not just things of the past ~ they lead us into our future. And we don't go alone ~ the one we love goes with us. Ideal for a memorial service. 11 minutes. |
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Invincible Summer, Returning to Life After Someone You Love Has Died: Picture grief as a natural process: first fall, then winter, spring, summer. Picture memorable photography from each season. Picture artistic design, soothing music, assuring words. Ideal for personal use, support groups too. Film festival award-winner. 17 minutes. |
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Listen to Your Sadness, Finding Hope Again After Despair Invades Your Life: Gentle support for life's troubling times. Introduces four-step process for dealing with the despair which may accompany loss and grief: experience the present, review the past, visualize the future, return to the present anew. Evocative photography from nature. Concludes with life-giving affirmation. 18 minutes |
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How Do I Go On? ReDesigning Your Future After Crisis Has Changed Your Life: For those losses so serious a whole new way of living is called for. Five steps are outlined and offered as an aid, including starting with where one is, exploring the options, letting go, embracing, and living as fully as possible with what is at hand. Photography from nature guides the viewer. 21 minutes. |
Music
Music for memorial services or to listen to for your own healing journey:
Songs of Healing, Robbie Gass and On Wings of SongI used a chant from this tape, Go In Beauty, Peace be with You, Til We Meet Again in the Light, as I sat with my dying cat Anastasia for several days and nights. It was wonderfully soothing to both of us. We played it again at her memorial service. |
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Unspeakable Grace, Michael Stillwater and Gary MalkinThis is the music from the powerful spoken-word giftbook/CD Graceful Passages: A Companion for Living and Dying. Beautifully soothing and comforting. My very favorite piece is the Fransican Blessing. Not as "slow" as meditation music, this CD is ideal background music to bring us peace as we go about our daily lives reading, working driving, etc. |
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My Heart Will Go On and Because You Loved Me, Celine DionThough not written for the love between animals and people, these classic power ballads certainly could have been! Listen to the words of these songs, let them enter your heart and help you heal. Very powerful and affirming. These are wonderful songs of both celebration of our love as well as to help us cry tears that need to be shed. |
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Amazing Grace CeciliaThis is the most beautiful and haunting version of this song you will ever hear. Songs of humpback whales are interspered with Cecilia's angelic singing. |
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Light from Assisi, Richard Shulman
A deeply moving CD for meditation, healing and spiritual transformation, created at the birthplace of St. Francis. When I first heard this music I was in a bookstore. I dropped the book in my hands and began to cry I was so moved by the love this music brings forth. I bought the CD, then sat and listened to it in my car for an hour. A year later, I contacted Richard to ask him if the song "For St. Francis" could be played on my web site and he graciously agreed. May this very special musician be blessed, and may his music bring you the blessings of healing it brings me. Listen to "For St. Francis" on our home page, and you can buy the CD from his site (scroll until you find it). |
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The Fairy Ring, Mike Rowland
This is the magical, soothing music that supported me through my grief when my beloved cat Muffin died. Enduring, classic meditation music that will bring anyone closer to inner peace. |
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Angel Love, Aeoliah
The vibration of this meditation music is so pure and angelic it cannot help but make you feel soothed and peaceful. My animals and I sleep to this music every night. My cat Olivia sometimes asks for this music during the day! And I take it with me whenever I travel to soothe me on planes and hotel rooms. |
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Om Nimah Shivaya and other chants with Deva Premal
This artist brings ancient chants into a contemporary style while maintaining their sacredness. Highly recommended |
Having a song or piece of music composed in honor of your animal:
By Richard Shulman:
It is Richard's moving music, Light From Assisi, that plays on our home page. In addition to his many other beautiful tapes/CDs, Richard also composes instrumental Musical Soul Portraits. "A great portrait painting expresses the light of the soul as well as the form of the person protrayed. A Musical Soul Portrait expresses an individual's soul essence through music. Richard has the ability to tune into a person's soul and inner being, hear music for their Highest Good, and perform and record this music to create a musical bridge through which you may commune with the essence of God." www.richheartmusic.com
By Kathleen Tarp:
Kathleen loves animals probably more than anything in life. This deep love, along with her outstanding songwriting abilities and astounding voice, combine to create what she calls Song Legacies. Kathleen can write and record a customized song for your animal including: professionally written song lyrics about their life, full orchestration, profesional vocals, studio digital recording, one-of-a-kind CD cover, personalized label, and framable lyrics. www.songlegacy.com
Finding an Animal Communicator
Teresa Wagner, who has been facilitating grief support workshops and counseling since 1986, and animal communication consultations since 1991.
Finding and Choosing a Counselor
In-depth article including list of pet loss counselors:
How to Choose and Work With a Grief Counselor for Pet Loss-
What You Deserve and What You Should Expect
Finding an Energy Healer
Sometimes, traditional counseling is precisely what we need ~ the help of a trained professional in psychology to help us understand and sort through the emotional issues of our loss. Other times psychological insight may not be enough to help us move through our healing. We may need a deeper level of spiritual support and healing. There are both ancient and contemporary healing energy techniques available to help us balance and align our minds, bodies and spirits when in distress from grief or other trauma.
Three energy healers whose work I know personally, highly recommend, and are available to provide long distance healing with you:
Divine Energy Healer who works with the energy of Quan Yin; she has healed many, many physical conditions of my animals and clients' animals, as well as those of people.
Renee Henson
Renee is a certified in Light Wave Energy Healing for animals and people. She has also studied Animal Communication with Kristin Hadley Thompson and studied Pet Loss and Grief Support with Teresa Wagner. She has owned and operated a dog grooming and boarding kennel for the past 21 years. Since 2007, she has also operated a dog rescue and has successfully rehomed over 150 dogs and many cats. Renee has personally helped me, and many I have referred to her, in profound ways with her healing abilities.
Lori Wright
Reiki Master and Animal Communicator,is an Associate in my animal communication practice. Lori has a gentle, loving yet powerful ability to offer healing energy, and she is devoted to helping the animals of the world. Our clients are very pleased with the help her Reiki work has given them.
To find an energy healing practitioner near you geographically for in person work, or to learn more about this, explore the links below:
- Therapeutic Touch
- Healing Touch
- Emotional Freedom Techniques
- Barbara Brennan School of Healing
Finding a Support Group
- Check the listings by state at www.aplb.org
- For an on-line caring support group for those whose pets are missing or stolen, visit www.egroups.com/subscribe/PetTheftSupport
- Call your local SPCA ~ many local humane organizations hold regularly scheduled groups
Finding a Grief Support Telephone Hotline
- Check the listings at www.petloss.com/phones.htm