Pet Loss and Children: Establishing a Health Foundation

Explaining the concept of death to a child is a very difficult, confusing, and uncomfortable experience for a parent, educator, or therapist, and it is a topic that is often first introduced by the loss of a pet - sometimes a child’s earliest exposure to loss and grief. There is an undeniably special bond that develops between people and their pets, especially between animals and young children, and while the death of a pet can be devastating to an adult, children are often deeply affected by such a loss. Without readily available outlets for their feelings, the trauma of pet loss can remain with a child for life, and without help many adults feel inadequate and not up to the task. The aim of this book is to provide therapists, counselors, educators, parents, social workers, veterinarians, and physicians with resources to help children cope with the loss of a pet.

Cheri Barton Ross, MA, is a published author, journalist and pet lover. She is the founder and facilitator of the Redwood Empire Veterinary Medical Association Pet Loss Support Group, through which she has worked with numerous children and their families experiencing pet loss. She and her husband own a small veterinary clinic in Santa Rosa, California.