Helping children cope with the loss of a pet
Losing an animal is devastating at any age, but it can be especially difficult for children. Pets are often their best friends and share an intimate space in their lives. While everyone deals with grief differently, the one thing that brings comfort for many is sharing stories and memories of their beloved pet.
The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society’s AnimalSmart™ Humane Education Program offers free presentations to school and community groups in our animal centre communities for Grades 1-8, with the goal of fostering empathy, promoting responsibility and inspiring a connection with animals. During these classroom presentations, a common topic brought up by students was the loss of their furry friend.
Pet loss resources for kids
While in the classroom delivering AnimalSmart™ humane education presentations, we discovered that there was a need for pet loss resources for kids.
“During our presentations we found that kids felt a natural sense of openness to be able to talk about their animals, current or past,” says Nina Alexander, Humane Education Manager with the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society. “We noticed that presenters, volunteers and coordinators were expressing difficulty when kids wanted to talk about pet loss.”
Whether it’s an aunt, babysitter, teacher, or a parent, these resources can be accessed to help a child commemorate the loss of an animal.
“It’s such a big topic for a little body to manage,” says Nina. “We developed prompts to help them talk about their animal, such as what kind of fur did they have? What was their favourite treat or activity – that kind of thing.”
Another effective resource is a suggested reading list of books that stimulate ideas and conversations that can help a grieving child understand their feelings.
“We offer a range of various activities,” says Nina, including a poem about crossing “over the rainbow bridge,” guidelines on creating a memory box, and some activities to get kids reflecting on their furry friend.
“We just try to commemorate and honour whatever the kids are sharing,” says Nina. “If it seems to be a pretty big topic, then we direct the teacher to go online and print the material.”
The pet loss support guide is free to download at animalsmart.ca
Download the free guide today.
Having an impact on grieving hearts
Nina says the pet loss support guide has been incredibly impactful and well received by teachers and parents.
“Students have enjoyed the choices and working through the activities,” Nina says. “I think it’s an important resource to have, as our furry friends are such a valuable member of the family. It is hard to process the loss of them, and there not many resources out there to help guide this.”
Pet loss resources for adults
In addition to these pet loss resources for children, there is also support available for adults who are grieving the loss of a pet. Ontario Pet Loss offers an online support group to help people navigate the grieving process.
As a registered charity that does not receive annual government funding, the Ontario SPCA depends on the generosity of donors to offer these programs and services. Please consider donating today.