Cancer and euthanasia in cats and dogs.

Saying good bye to our beloved pets brings unbearable grief and sorrow into our lives, and for many, the deep sense of
loss can be quite paralyzing and debilitating. We have been given only a brief moment to enjoy the happiness,
sweetness, laughs, unconditional friendship, loyalty and love that our pets bring into our lives, and we often ask
ourselves during the dark times of mourning whether the brief moments of joy and companionship are worth the
heartbreaking moment of having to say good bye. One should then remember our pets' wagging tails, purring sounds
and eyes lit up with excitement just to say hello to us whenever we came home - and there should be no more doubt that
our pets loved us and that we really mattered to them, even if it was for a very brief moment. Saying good bye will
undoubtedly create deep wounds within our hearts. But with the love and support of our families and friends, time will
eventually mend our broken hearts and remembering the happy moments we shared with our beloved pets will bring
some comfort to us.

Should you find yourself unable to cope with the death of your pet, below is a list of pet loss support websites, groups,
chat rooms and hotlines across the United States.

State-by-State Support Groups
Use the following links to locate a support group in your state:
http://landofpuregold.com/loss-map.htm
www.pet-loss.net

Toll free hotlines
University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine (www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/petloss )
1-800- 565-1526 (M-F 6:30-9:30pm PST)

Grief Recovery Hotline
1-800-445-4808 (M-F 9am-5pm PST)

Iams Pet Loss Support Center
1-888-332-7738 (M-F 8am-5pm)

University of Illinois CARE Help Line (www.cvm.uiuc.edu/CARE)
877-394-2273 ( Su, T and Th 7-9 pm CST)

Chatrooms
Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement Chat Room (www.aplb.org/chat/chat_petloss.html)

Animal Love and Loss Network (http://alln.org/alln/chatroom.shtml)

Rainbow's Bridge (http://rainbowsbridge.com/Grief_Support_Center/Grief_Support_Home.htm#chat)

Websites
Pet Loss Support Page (www.pet-loss.net)
Chance's Spot (www.chancesspot.org)
Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement (www.aplb.org)
Argus Institute for Families and Veterinary Medicine (www.argusinstitute.colostate.edu)
The Humane Society (www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/coping_with_the_death_of_your_pet)
Coping with the Loss of a Pet (www.homevet.com/bonding/loss.html)
Cornell University Pet Loss Support Hotline (www.vet.cornell.edu/public/petloss
Pet Loss: Understanding Grief in Children (www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/grief-children.html)

Support Groups

GRIEF SUPPORT