Pet loss grief guides for the questions that matter most
These four guides cover the big questions after a pet dies: where to find support, whether a group suits you, when counseling helps and how long grief usually lasts. Pet grief is more serious than it's often treated; 7.5%[1] of UK adults bereaved of a pet met criteria for prolonged grief in a 2026 study.
- Written for grieving owners, not clinicians
- Research you can check, in plain language
- Crisis numbers wherever they're needed
Where to begin
Which pet grief guide should you read first?
Start with the question that's keeping you up at night. If it's "who can I talk to?", read pet loss support resources, which lists free helplines in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand and explains what each kind of support is for. If it's "is this normal?", read the pet grief timeline.
If you're feeling isolated, finding a pet loss support group walks you through where groups meet and what a first meeting is like. If grief has been heavy for months, or guilt won't settle, professional grief counseling for pet loss explains who to see and what it costs. Each guide stands alone, so read in any order.
All guides
In-depth guides to the decisions families face, written in plain English.
Grief counseling after losing a pet: when it's worth it and how to find it
Signs it's time to see a counselor after a pet dies, which professionals to look for, typical fees, insurance and free sessions, and what to expect.
Pet loss support resources: who to call, what to read, where to go
Free pet loss helplines in the US, UK, Australia and NZ, plus groups, reading and counseling. Which one fits tonight, and which fits the months ahead.
How long does grief for a pet last? A realistic timeline, without the stages
What grief after a pet often looks like over days, weeks, months and the first year, why the five stages don't fit, and when to get more support.
Finding a pet loss support group: where they meet and what to expect
Where pet loss support groups meet, what happens at a first meeting, peer-run vs facilitated groups, online options and red flags to watch for.
Someone to talk to
Where do you find people who understand pet loss?
It's harder than it should be. In the RSPCA's 2026 survey of more than 4,000 bereaved owners, 56.7%[2] couldn't find the support they needed and only 13.4%[3] felt fully understood by others. The two support guides exist to close that gap: one maps free phone lines and reading, the other covers groups that meet in person or by video.
56.7%[2]
56.7% of bereaved pet owners in the RSPCA survey could not find the support they needed.
13.4%[3]
Only 13.4% of bereaved pet owners felt fully understood by others.
57.1%[4]
57.1% felt they had to hide their grief after a pet died, and 57.8% perceive stigma around pet loss.
Which kind of support have you tried since your loss?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
When grief lingers
What if your grief isn't easing?
Grief for a pet often runs longer than people expect. In one study of owners, ~1 in 3[5] were still grieving six months after their pet died. That's usually normal. The timeline guide explains what the first days, months and year often look like, and why the five stages don't really fit.
Sometimes, though, grief stops moving. The counseling guide sets out the signs, from guilt that hardens into certainty to longing that grows rather than fades, and how prolonged grief is recognized. It's less rare than people assume: by our estimate, about 110,000 US owners a year[6] may develop grief that meets the clinical criteria after a pet dies, a figure we reached by applying a UK prolonged grief rate to the number of US pets cremated each year. It also covers cheaper routes like employee assistance programs. A quick private way to gauge where you are is the grief check-in.
Free tool
Pet loss grief check-in
A private, two-minute check-in on how you're coping, with ideas that match where you are.
A simple path
How do the four guides fit together?
Think of them as a path you can join at any point. The resources guide is the map: what exists, what's free, what each option is for. The groups guide and the counseling guide are the two main roads off that map, one for company and one for focused, private help. The timeline guide sits alongside all three, because knowing what's normal changes which road you need.
Most readers only need one or two. Someone a week after a sudden loss might read the timeline and save a helpline number. Someone six months on, still unable to sleep, might go straight to counseling. A parent might start with the resources guide, then jump to our blog article on children. There's no wrong order and nothing you have to finish.
How we write
How are these pet grief guides researched?
We draw on peer-reviewed studies, large charity surveys and published service information, and every figure links to its source. The two biggest recent sources are a 2026 PLOS ONE study of 975 UK adults on prolonged grief, and the RSPCA's survey of bereaved owners. Where a figure is our own calculation, it's labelled as our estimate.
We're careful not to stretch facts. A UK survey tells us about UK owners; we won't present it as an American fact. Helpline hours change, so we tell you to check before calling. Our research page lists the sources we rely on, and about us explains our editorial rules.
Good information can't take grief away, but it can stop you feeling alone with it.
What we're not
What can't these guides do for you?
They can't replace a person. We're an independent guide, not a clinic or a helpline, and nothing here is therapy or a diagnosis. The guides help you understand grief and choose support; the support itself comes from the groups, lines and counselors they point to.
Beyond the guides
Where should you go after reading a guide?
Our blog answers narrower questions in depth, such as guilt after euthanasia, asking work for time off and when to think about another pet. The tools include a farewell planner and the private check-in, and our overview of support services compares groups, lines and counseling side by side. Anonymous reader answers are collected on the poll results page. And if you'd rather someone else did the searching, tell us what you need and we'll email options near you, or browse support by area.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
Vote anonymously and see how other readers answered. The results are live counts from people who visit this site, so they show real opinions, not a scientific sample.
Which kind of support have you tried since your loss?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
What helped you most in the first weeks?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Compared with losing a person, losing your pet felt...
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Questions people ask
What's the difference between the guides and the blog?
The guides cover the four biggest questions in depth: where to find support, support groups, counseling and how long grief lasts. Blog articles focus on specific situations, like helping children, guilt after euthanasia, time off work or remote memorials. They link to each other wherever it helps.
Are these guides written by therapists?
No. We're an independent guide, not a clinical service. We base the guides on published research and on how support services describe themselves, and we link every figure to its source. For clinical advice, talk to a licensed therapist, counselor or your doctor.
Do the guides apply outside the US?
Yes. We list helplines and crisis numbers for the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, and much of the research comes from the UK. Titles for counselors and the way therapy is paid for differ by country, and the guides point that out where it matters.
How often are the guides updated?
We review them regularly and update them when research or services change. The date at the top of each guide shows when it was last reviewed. If you spot something out of date, such as changed helpline hours, please tell us through the contact page.
Which guide helps if I just want to know my grief is normal?
Start with the pet grief timeline. It explains what the first days, weeks, months and year often look like, why grief returns in waves around reminders and anniversaries, and the specific signs that suggest grief has become stuck and would benefit from professional support.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] 7.5% of UK adults whose bereavement was the death of a pet met criteria for prolonged grief disorder (PGD). Hyland et al., 'No pets allowed: Evidence that prolonged grief disorder can occur following the death of a pet', PLOS ONE (2026), 2026.
- [2] 56.7% of bereaved pet owners in the RSPCA survey could not find the support they needed. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
- [3] Only 13.4% of bereaved pet owners felt fully understood by others. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
- [4] 57.1% felt they had to hide their grief after a pet died, and 57.8% perceive stigma around pet loss. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
- [5] A 2009 Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic study of 106 pet owners found nearly 1 in 3 grieved for at least six months. SHRM — Grieving a Pet's Death: Should Workers Get Time Off? (2016), 2009.
- [6] Each year about 110,000 U.S. pet owners may go on to meet prolonged grief disorder criteria after a pet dies. Our estimate: 1.5M pet cremations (proxy for pet deaths with an engaged owner) x 7.5% PGD rate. How we calculate.
Skip the reading and get support options
Tell us what you need and where you are. We'll reply by email with clear options and prices so you can decide in your own time.