Make a simple plan for the support you want after losing your pet
Over half of bereaved pet owners in a large UK survey, 56.7%[1], said they couldn't find the support they needed. Writing down what would help, and what to check first, can make that first call easier.
- Six gentle prompts, answered at your own pace
- A support resource for your country
- Private: nothing is sent unless you choose
What should I record before contacting the team?
Pet Loss Grief Support Resources uses this worksheet to prepare worldwide inquiries. Your entries stay in this page’s memory until you copy, download or open an email draft. Reloading clears the fields. Record the requested outcome and location, leaving unresolved choices as questions and sensitive medical or personal details out of a shared copy.
0 of 6 fields have an entry. This is a completion count, not a safety score or booking approval.
How can I keep and share my planning record?
Pet Loss Grief Support Resources lets you keep this worldwide planning record with your answers, selected source. Copying or downloading creates a copy you control. Opening an email draft lets you review the text in your email app before sending; none of these actions automatically submits an inquiry.
Clear entries removes all worksheet fields. It does not delete a copy you already saved or an email draft.
Read the text of your plan
Pet Loss Grief Support Resources: The support-fit and access worksheet Original planning worksheet; entries supplied by the visitor. Country or territory: To confirm City and region: To confirm What support would help today: To confirm Peer, pastoral or licensed clinical support: To confirm Format and accessibility needs: To confirm Facilitator role and credentials to verify: To confirm Privacy and participation rules: To confirm Cost and appointment availability: To confirm Before proceeding: Check the facilitator’s role, privacy expectations and any fees before sharing sensitive information.
Why write it down
Why a support plan helps when grief makes everything hard
Grief can make simple tasks feel huge: finding a phone number, reading a website, deciding whether to join a group. A short written plan takes some of that weight off. It holds the practical details so you don't have to remember them, and it lets you hand a clear list to someone who wants to help.
It can help before a loss too. Most people in the same UK survey, 75.4%[2], felt grief before their pet died. If your pet is old or ill, planning where you'll turn afterward is a caring thing to do for your future self, not a sign of giving up. The same goes for aftercare: by our estimate, only about 6% of bereaved UK owners[3] compare cremation providers before buying, often because the decision lands in the worst hour. Noting a preference now spares you that.
Field by field
Filling in the six prompts, gently
There are no wrong answers and no need to fill every box. Write a word, a sentence or a question. The count at the bottom only shows how many boxes you've written in; it is not a measure of how you're doing.
- What support would help today. Someone to listen, practical information, company, or just permission to rest.
- Peer, pastoral or clinical. Whether you'd like people who've been through it, a faith leader, or a licensed professional.
- Format and accessibility. Phone, video, text, email or in person, and anything that makes access easier for you.
- Facilitator role and credentials. What you'd want to confirm about who runs the service.
- Privacy and participation. Whether you'd like to listen only, and what happens to what you share.
- Cost and availability. Whether free options suit you, and what hours or waiting times you can manage.
Where you live
The support resource shown for your country
When you choose your country at the top of the worksheet, it shows a support resource from our research, with a link to the organization itself. Services differ a lot from place to place. In the UK, Blue Cross runs a free, confidential pet bereavement line[4]. In Australia, Griefline's helpline covers pet loss[5], and a separate 24/7 pet loss line serving Australia and New Zealand is free to call, though counselors it refers to set their own fees[6].
In the US, options range from university helplines such as the Tufts Pet Loss Support Helpline to Lap of Love's mix of free and paid virtual support[7]. Our resources guide gathers more of them, and our local support pages cover what's available by area.
Before you share
Checking who runs a group or offers counseling
"Pet loss counselor" isn't a protected title everywhere, so it's worth asking what someone's role actually is. A trained volunteer or certified pet loss coach offers listening and peer support. A licensed counselor, psychologist or therapist is registered with a regulator you can check. Qualified specialists are few: one study cited about 80[8] accredited pet bereavement counseling therapists in private practice across the UK.
Before sharing anything personal, ask how notes are kept, whether group conversations are confidential, and what a session costs. Paid counseling can be significant; one Calgary practice charges CA$220/hour[9], not covered by the provincial health plan. The guide to professional grief counseling has more questions to ask.
Everyday life
Work, routine and asking for a little time
Grief often shows up at work and in the gaps in your day. In the UK survey, 28.4%[10] of respondents couldn't take time off after their pet died, and in the US only 11%[11] of employers offer paid pet loss leave. If you need a day or a lighter week, it can help to note in your plan what you'd say to a manager, so the conversation feels less daunting. Our article on asking for time off after a pet dies has wording to borrow, and in the UK, Acas bereavement guidance notes managers can agree leave even where no policy exists. Other readers' experiences show up on the live poll results page.
How did your workplace respond when your pet died?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
The hours your pet used to fill, like the morning walk or the evening welcome, are often the hardest. Some people plan a small new routine for that time. The grief check-in can help you notice what's weighing on you most.
Next steps
Keeping your plan and taking one small step
You can copy the plan, download it as a text file or open it as an email draft to send to yourself or a friend. Nothing is sent automatically, and reloading the page clears your answers, so save a copy if you'd like to keep it. You may find it helps to share it with one person you trust.
If you'd like us to suggest resources, paste the plan into the form above and we'll reply by email. The three-question support quiz can also help you decide where to look first, and our overview of kinds of support explains each option.
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.
How did your workplace respond when your pet died?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Did you take time off work after your pet died?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Questions people ask
Is this worksheet a grief assessment?
No. It's a private note-taking space to plan what support to look for. It doesn't measure grief or recommend treatment. If you're worried about how you're coping, a doctor or licensed counselor is the right person to talk to.
Who can see what I write in the worksheet?
Only you, while the page is open. Nothing is sent to us or stored online. If you copy, download or email it, that copy is yours to control. We suggest leaving out sensitive medical details from anything you share.
How do I know if a pet loss group is right for me?
Ask who runs it, how often it meets, whether you can just listen, and whether what's said stays in the room. Many groups let you try one session before deciding. It's fine to leave a group that doesn't feel right.
Should I see a counselor after losing my pet?
Many people get through pet loss with friends, family and peer support. It may be worth talking to a licensed professional if grief is making daily life very hard for a long time, if you feel stuck in guilt, or if the loss has stirred up other griefs. Your doctor can help you find someone.
Can I plan support before my pet dies?
Yes. Many people feel grief while caring for an old or ill pet. Noting a helpline number, a friend to call and what kind of help you'd want can make the days after the loss a little less overwhelming.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] 56.7% of bereaved pet owners in the RSPCA survey could not find the support they needed. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
- [2] 75.4% of RSPCA pet-loss survey respondents experienced anticipatory grief before their pet died. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
- [3] Only about 6% of all bereaved UK pet owners compare cremation providers before buying. Our estimate: 67% cremate x 9% compared = 6.0%. How we calculate.
- [4] Blue Cross's Pet Bereavement Support Service in the UK is a free, confidential phone and email helpline open 365 days a year. Wikipedia – Blue Cross (animal charity), 2026.
- [5] Griefline, an Australian grief support service that covers pet loss, lists its helpline as 1300 845 745, open weekdays 10am–8pm AEST/AEDT. Griefline – Losing a pet, 2026.
- [6] Pets and People's 24/7 Pet Loss Support Line (Australia 1300 431 450, New Zealand 0800 114 421) is free to call, but counsellors it connects callers to charge their own rates. Pets and People – 24/7 Pet Loss Support hotline, 2026.
- [7] Lap of Love offers free and paid virtual pet loss support run by certified pet loss coaches, including groups, one-on-one sessions and courses, on a 24/7 line at (855) 933-5683. Lap of Love – Pet Loss Support, 2026.
- [8] About 80 qualified, accredited pet bereavement counselling therapists were in private practice in the UK (Sadgrove, 2021, cited in a 2024 peer-reviewed study). Coping with Animal Companion Loss: A Thematic Analysis of Pet Bereavement Counselling (PMC11017691), 2021.
- [9] A Calgary psychology practice charges CA$220 per 60-minute pet-loss counselling session, which Alberta Health Care does not cover. Trio Psychology – Pet Loss Counselling (Calgary), 2026.
- [10] 28.4% of RSPCA survey respondents could not take time off work after their pet died. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
- [11] Only 11% of employers offer paid pet loss leave, according to an AbsenceSoft survey. AbsenceSoft — Understanding Pet Bereavement Leave and Its Importance to Today's Workforce, 2025.
Ask us to help find support
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.