Pet Loss Support

MSU Pet Loss Support Group

The Veterinary College at Michigan State continues to offer a Pet Loss Support Group for anyone who has experienced the loss of a pet or who anticipates such a loss. The group allows them to express their feelings in an atmosphere of acceptance and understanding.

The group meets on the first Tuesday of each month from 7 PM to about 9 PM in A-174 Veterinary Medical Center on the MSU campus. Calls can be made to 372-2535.

There is no charge. Fees for the group are paid by donations from mid-Michigan veterinarians and MSU veterinary students.

The group is led by Michael Rogell, PhD, and Bonnie Wheeler, MA, CSW, LPC. For more information, call the Pet Loss Support Hotline at 517/432-2696.

The hotline, which is staffed on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 6:30 to 9:30 PM, also is available as a nonjudgmental outlet for people to express their feelings and concerns about the loss of a cherished animal companion.


Other sources for help for grieving pet owners are:

The Delta Society: For a free list of books on pet loss, call (800)869-6898 and ask for "pet 400". An internet Web site, www.deltasociety.org, offers a complete list of pet-loss telephone hot line numbers and pet-grief counselors throughout the United States.

Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement: Offers full information on grief counseling around the country at www.aplb.org.

Pet Loss Grief Support Web Site & Ceremony: This Web Site, www.petloss.com, offers group meetings, chat rooms, poetry and tribute pages for pets who have passed away.

"Preparing for the Loss of Your Pet," by Myrna Milani (Prima Publishing, 1998): Offers information about pet grief and all aspects of pet death.

Rainbow Bridge Poem about Pet Loss: http://rainbowsbridge.com/Poem.htm