Pet Loss Information

Tufts University – offers a Grief Support Hotline (508-839-7966) and articles regarding the loss of a pet. Messages left during off-hours will be returned, at no cost to the caller, during the next normal hotline shift. We realize our duty is not to provide counseling or help people forget about their problems. Our goal is to support people as they work through the pain and grief that is often associated with pet loss. We know the special bonds people have with their pets, and owners appreciate being able to talk with individuals who share their compassion for animals and understand the impact of their loss. On the hotline, callers speak one-on-one with student volunteers. There is no formula for any conversation. Our volunteers listen to callers as individuals, realizing that no two callers are alike and that everyone’s situation will be different.

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Pet Loss Support Hotline – (607-253-3932), 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday-Thursday. The first Pet Loss Support Hotline was set up in 1989 at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California at Davis. Cornell used their guidelines in construction of our own hotline. The hotline is staffed by volunteer veterinary students who have undergone extensive training with professional grief counselors. Volunteers regularly attend discussion meetings with faculty advisors. These meetings assist hotline volunteers in dealing with the personal responses to grief and educate them to better serve the needs of callers.

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