Although society accepts that grieving over the death of a loved one is not only normal, but healthy and necessary, grieving over the loss of a pet is often seen as something childish. Expressed feelings often go unvalidated, leaving the bereaved embarassed and ashamed. In truth, pet loss is a unique form of grief that can be quite intense and debilitating, increasing an individual's vulnerability to subsequent stress and leaving them feeling isolated and misunderstood.
This unique guide is written for all professionals helping clients deal with the loss of a pet, and serves as a practical introduction to the field of human-animal bonding. Citing several case studies, it describes various techniques for helping clients when the bond with a pet is broken. The authors present a step-by-step guide to leading clients through this special kind of grief and offer valuable practical guidelines. Until recently, books dealing with this topic have been aimed at the veterinary community. The authors of this book strongly feel that pet loss needs to be addressed by therapists and others in the helping professions, to better enable them to help their clients through the loss of their companion animals.