Chicago Veterinary Medical Association offers Helpline and Pet Loss Support Group
The death of a beloved animal friend undoubtedly is a significant loss to its human companion. In recognition of this fact, the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) provides free grief resources for Chicagoland pet owners and families, including its Pet Loss Helpline and its support group, “Wings.”
The Pet Loss Helpline is operated by trained, compassionate volunteers who retrieve messages from grieving families and return their call to offer support through active listening and providing support materials and referrals for further assistance when needed. Pet owners can contact the helpline and leave a message by calling, 630-325-1600.
The “Wings” Pet Loss Support Group, which was started in 2001 as an extension of the helpline, meets via Zoom the first Wednesday of each month at 7:30 pm. The group is led by a licensed psychologist who guides participants in working through their grief. While there is no fee for the service, donations, which are tax-deductible, are appreciated and gladly accepted. Interested support group participants need to contact Dr. Linda Harper at linda@drlindaharper.com for more details about joining the group.
“Your veterinary caregivers observe the depth of the bond between pets and their people and are very much aware of the pain that families experience upon the loss or anticipated death of a beloved animal,” explained Dr. Kirsten Plomin, CVMA Board President. “CVMA is honored to help grieving pet families by providing helpful resources for them to work through the understandable sadness that unfortunately comes with the loss of a pet.”
“I would encourage anyone who is struggling with pet loss to take advantage of the great resources that CVMA provides,” said Ray McGury, CVMA Executive Director. “The high-quality, complimentary resources that
CVMA offers can provide immeasurable help and essential coping mechanisms for people experiencing one of the saddest moments in their lives.”
Press release – CVMA Offers Pet Families Free Grief Resources