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Death and Your Animal Companion
Saying Goodbye: Death, Divorce, and Your Animal Friend
Losing a Loved OneWe extend our condolences to you if you have lost a companion animal. It’s important to remember that it’s natural to grieve following the loss of someone you love.
If your animal companion is ill, very old, or in a great deal of pain and you are considering euthanasia, please see our factsheet “Euthanasia: the Compassionate Option.”
Many who have lost companion animals have found consolation by joining pet loss support groups. Check your local newspaper or humane society for one in your area. Support groups can also be found online:
- The Delta Society
- Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement
- Virtual Pet Cemetery
- Pet Loss Grief Support Web Site and Candle Ceremony
- Pet Loss Support Page
- Iowa State University Pet Loss Support
Seven days a week, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. CT
888-478-7574 - University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
Weekdays, 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. PT
916-752-4200 - University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
Staffed by students; weekdays, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. PT
530-752-4200, or toll-free 1-800-565-1526 - University of Florida Veterinary School
Staffed by students; weekdays, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., ET
352-392-4700; then dial 1 and 4080 - Michigan State University Veterinary School
Staffed by students; Tuesday to Thursday, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. ET
517-432-2696 - Chicago VMA
Staffed by veterinarians and staff; leave voice-mail message; calls will be returned from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. CT, collect if long-distance
630-603-3994 - Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine
Staffed by students; Tuesday and Thursday, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET
540-231-8038 - Ohio State University Veterinary School
Staffed by students; Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. ET; voice-mail messages will be returned, collect, during operating hours
614-292-1823 - Tufts University Veterinary School
Staffed by students; Tuesday and Thursday, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET; voice-mail messages will be returned daily
508-839-7966 - Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Seven days a week, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. CST from September to April; Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. CST from May to August
888-ISU-PLSH - Cornell University Veterinary School
Staffed by students; Tuesday-Thursday, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET; messages will be returned
607-253-3932 - University of Illinois Veterinary School
Staffed by students; Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays; leave voicemail message; calls will be returned from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. CT
217-244-2273 or toll-free 877-394-2273 (CARE) - Colorado State University
Changes: The Support for People and Pets Program - Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine
509-335-5704 - Grief counselor Charlene Douglas, director of the People-Pet Partnership, offers a grief support package. Write the College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, P.O. Box 647010, Pullman, WA 99164; 509-335-4569; douglasc@wsu.edu.
You may also find comfort in reading a book on dealing with your grief. There are dozens of books available at major bookstore chains. One particularly helpful book is Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Lost a Pet by Gary Kowalski, which you can order from PETAMall.com.
Final Arrangements
Veterinarians can usually handle final arrangements, but several options exist. You may wish to look for a pet cemetery in your area; burials can cost from 200 to several thousand dollars. The International Association of Pet Cemeteries can offer help at Box 1346, South Bend, IN 46624; 219-277-1115. Communal burial and communal cremation are less expensive options offered by many veterinarians, pet cemeteries, and humane organizations; these arrangements often cost less than 100 dollars. Your veterinarian may be able to arrange for an individual cremation as well. If you want to bury your animal on your property, check with your municipal government first.Planning for the Future
Our companion animals are an important part of our families, and we know how much they depend on us. That is why it is important for us to make preparations now for their future care in case something should happen to us—to ensure not only their well-being but to make their transition to a life without us as stress-free as possible.You can contact PETA for an information sheet that can help guide you as you prepare for the future of your animal companions, but some of the steps that we recommend you take include these:
- Identify one or more people who can come into your home at a moment’s notice to care for and console your animals until their long-term care is set. It is important for the person to be familiar with your animals, and vice versa.
- Files should be kept at your home on each of your companions that will help in an emergency as well as in finding new homes if necessary. The files should include, at a minimum, names to contact in an emergency; your animals’ names, ages, and genders; name and location of your veterinarian; your animals’ diets, feeding schedules, personalities, likes and dislikes; and a description of their current lifestyle. The files should be updated at least annually and critical information should be carried in your wallet as well.
- Select the long-term caretaker(s) for your animals, which should be someone you trust. It is a good idea to name one or more back-ups if possible.
- Consult with your attorney to complete your plans. You should consider providing for the future of your companion animals in your estate plans, for example, through a provision in your will or through a “pet trust,” which is now legal in 17 states. This is another area where you can specify in detail how your animals should be cared for.
- Put an “animals in here” sticker somewhere in your house if you have animals who might hide from strangers.
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