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Recommended Reading

A collection of works to help you HEAL your heart

We have selected the books listed here for you. You will find books that cater to all age groups and backgrounds as well as professional and educational works.

Please contact us if you would like assistance in choosing a book.

Due to the high volume of requests, we are no longer accepting submissions for our reading list.
Animal Elders: Caring About Our Aging Animal Companions Animal Elders: Caring About Our Aging Animal Companions

Lyrically, eloquently and compassionately, ANIMAL ELDERS: Caring About Our Aging Animal Companions discusses the various challenges as well as gifts associated with growing old. Observing that the older members of both animal and human societies have traditionally been regarded with...

 All Ages, Pet Loss & Bereavement, Spiritual  Diane Pomerance Published On April 1, 2005
The Human-Animal Bond and Grief The Human-Animal Bond and Grief

This text integrates theory, emprical research, clinical experience, and principles of application into a step-by-step approach to human-animal bond based client relations. The book provides veterinary professionals with the knowledge, skills, terminology and methodologies to help human clients cope with...

 Adult, Educational, Pet Loss & Bereavement, Professionals  Laurel Lagoni, Carolyn Butler Published On January 15, 1994
Amazing Gracie: A Dog’s Tale Amazing Gracie: A Dog’s Tale

She was the loneliest puppy in the litter—a deaf and partially blind albino Great Dane. She had huge, sky blue eyes. And when Dan Dye reached for her, she struggled to her feet like a clumsy foal, raised her forehead...

 All Ages, Dog Lovers, Pet Loss & Bereavement  Mark Beckloff, Dan Dye Published On February 1, 2003
Biscuit’s Biggest Adventure Biscuit’s Biggest Adventure

Freddy has a golden labrador called Biscuit, who loves going for runs in the park. Lately, Biscuit has been feeling exhausted and doesn't want to play any more. Freddy is really worried.

Then, one night, Freddy is woken by Biscuit,...

 Children, Dog Lovers, Illustrated, Teen  Coleen Carlile and Mark Archer Published On March 3, 2024
Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost...

From the moment pets come into our lives, we know the day will arrive when we have to say farewell. Still, we are never emotionally prepared for the last adieu. In Goodbye, Friend, Gary Kowalski takes you on a journey...

 All Ages, Guide, Pet Loss & Bereavement  Gary Kowalski Published On March 13, 2012
The Healing Power of Pets: Harnessing the Amazing Ability of Pets to Make and Keep People Happy and Healthy The Healing Power of Pets: Harnessing the Amazing Ability of...

From Dr. Marty Becker, co-author of the bestsellers Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul and Chicken Soup for the Cat and Dog Lover's Soul comes a ground-breaking new book that reveals the stirring stories and medical miracles behind the healing power of pets.

...
 Adult, Guide, Pet Loss & Bereavement, Self-Help, Teen  Marty Becker Published On February 19, 2003
The Grieving Body The Grieving Body

The follow-up to celebrated grief expert, neuroscientist, and psychologist Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor’s The Grieving Brain focuses on the impact of grief—and life’s other major stressors—on the human body.

Coping with death and grief is one of the most...

 Adult, Educational, Great Gift, Pet Loss & Bereavement, Professionals, Self-Help  Mary-Frances O'Connor Published On February 11, 2025
The Grief Recovery Handbook for Pet Loss The Grief Recovery Handbook for Pet Loss

If you’ve found yourself almost inconsolable after your pet died, please know that you’re normal.

If you’ve found that your family and friends don’t seem to understand the level of your grief, please know that, too, is normal.

Without comparing...

 Adult, Guide, Pet Loss & Bereavement, Self-Help  Russell Friedman, Cole James, John W. James Published On December 9, 2014
The Memory Box: A Book About Grief The Memory Box: A Book About Grief

I will always remember you . . .Joanna Rowland's best-selling The Memory Box: A Book about Grief has helped thousands of children and families work through the complex emotions that arise after the loss of a loved one. Now, with...

 Children, Family, Pet Loss & Bereavement  Joanna Rowler, Thea Baker Published On January 14, 2020
When Children Grieve: For Adults to Help Children Deal with Death, Divorce, Pet Loss, Moving, and Other Losses When Children Grieve: For Adults to Help Children Deal with...

The first―and definitive―guide to helping children really deal with loss from the authors of the The Grief Recovery Handbook

Following deaths, divorces, or the confusion of major relocation, many adults tell their children “don’t feel bad.” In fact, say the authors...

 Adult, Children, Educational, Family, Guide, Pet Loss & Bereavement  John W. James Published On June 4, 2002
Koko’s Kitten Koko’s Kitten

Koko the gorilla uses sign language to talk to her handlers. When she asks for a pet, her handlers search high and low for the perfect companion.

 Children, Family, Illustrated, Pet Loss & Bereavement, Pre-school Published On June 1, 1987
All Animals Go to Heaven All Animals Go to Heaven

Anyone who has lost a dearly beloved pet knows that the question of what happens to them after death is a tender, important subject. In this book, author and Christian minister George MacDonald presents the case that the mourning pet...

 All Ages, Pet Loss & Bereavement, Religious  George MacDonald Published On April 28, 2019
Pet Bereavement and Grief Pet Bereavement and Grief

The loss of a pet can be as devastating as the loss of a human loved one — yet it is often minimised, misunderstood, or quietly dismissed.

Pet Bereavement and Grief is a compassionate, clinically grounded guide for anyone...

 Adult, Educational, Guide, Pet Loss & Bereavement, Professionals, Young Adult  Dr Rachel Megahy Published On February 11, 2026
For Every Dog An Angel For Every Dog An Angel

For Every Dog An Angel celebrates the timeless connection between people and their "forever dogs." From the moment a puppy is born, the book tells us, a guardian angel is there to welcome the puppy into the world and to...

 All Ages, Children, Dog Lovers, Illustrated, Pet Loss & Bereavement, Spiritual  Christine Davis Published On January 2, 2004
When Your Pet Dies: A Healing Handbook for Kids (Elf-help Books for Kids) When Your Pet Dies: A Healing Handbook for Kids (Elf-help...

Elf-help Books for Kids - Addressing the needs of children and the adults who care for them.

 Children, Family, Pet Loss & Bereavement, Self-Help  Victoria Ryan Published On December 1, 2003
When Pets Come Between Partners: How to Keep Love – and Romance – in the Human/Animal Kingdom of Your Home When Pets Come Between Partners: How to Keep Love –...

How to Keep Love—And Romance—In the Human/Animal Kingdom of Your Home

  • When you're fighting about the dog, is it really about your in-laws? When your boyfriend says, It's either me or the cat," isn't there a way you can...
 Adult, Guide, Pet Loss & Bereavement, Self-Help  Joel Gavriele-Gold Published On February 21, 2000
The Grieving Brain The Grieving Brain

NPR SciFri Book Club Pick

Next Big Idea Club's "Top 21 Psychology Books of 2022"

Behavioral Scientist Notable Books of 2022

A renowned grief expert and neuroscientist shares groundbreaking discoveries about what happens in our brain when we grieve, providing a...

 Adult, Educational, Great Gift, Pet Loss & Bereavement, Professionals, Self-Help  Mary-Frances O'Connor Published On February 1, 2022
When Only the Love Remains: The Pain of Pet Loss When Only the Love Remains: The Pain of Pet Loss

"...Emily makes a public offering of her personal struggle, allowing herself to fully mourn the loss of her beloved Poochie." -- Jo Marchant, editor of "The Bunny Thymes", Ottawa, ON, Canada

"Emily has captured both the exquisite pleasure of loving...

 All Ages, Great Gift, Inspirational, Pet Loss & Bereavement, Poetry  Emily Margaret Stuparyk Published On February 1, 2000
Left Out! Left Out!

It's the fall of 2020, in the midst of the Covid pandemic. Rosie, a 70-something divorced, feminist Jewish woman, is living her best life in Seattle with her cat Sadie, although it's a tad lonely. Then arrive the latest renters...

 Adult, Cat Lovers, Pet Loss & Bereavement, Young Adult  Norma Rosie Wigutoff Published On December 2, 2025
Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children

When the death of a relative, a friend, or a pet happens or is about to happen . . . how can we help a child to understand?

Lifetimes is a moving book for children of all ages, even parents too....

 Children, Family, Guide, Illustrated, Pet Loss & Bereavement  Bryan Mellonie Published On October 1, 1983

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Exclusive Members-Only Webinar:

A conversation on the human face of shelter and rescue work with Dillon Dodson

Join us for this exciting event
We are delighted to invite you to an exclusive members-only webinar featuring Dillon Dodson, veterinary social worker, Director of Social Work at the Toronto Humane Society, and Vice President of our partner organization, the International Association of Veterinary Social Work. This special event is designed to shine a light on the human side of animal welfare work in rescues and shelters.

Event Details
Date: Thursday, October 30th, 2025
Time: 7:00-8:00 PM, ET
Platform:  Zoom (registration required)

Celebrate Rainbow Bridge
Remembrance Day

Join the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement today and create a special online memorial for your pet. Enjoy 20% off a Silver or Platinum membership— offer ends September 7.

Discount is automatically applied at checkout

Rainbow Bridge
Memorial Celebration

In honor of Rainbow Bridge Memorial Day (August 28), we are offering a 20% discount on Silver and Platinum memberships throughout the entire month of August.

By joining us, you will have the unique opportunity to create a lasting online memorial for your pet, complete with photos and stories you can cherish.

This year the Association of Pet Loss & Bereavement (APLB) is participating in Giving Tuesday, December 3rd. Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement, unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. 

Please give generously. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of those grieving the loss of their cherished pets.

This year the Association of Pet Loss & Bereavement (APLB) is participating in Giving Tuesday, on December 3rd. Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement, unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. 

Please give generously. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of those grieving the loss of their cherished pets.