Anyone who has ever experienced the unconditional love and special joy that a companion animal can bring to his or her life knows all too well, or will come to know, the deep sadness and very real pain associated with having to say good-bye. Drawing from her professional expertise and heartfelt experiences of losing her own pets, Katherine Heuerman has created a thoughtful yet practical guide pet owners can turn to for comfort, advice, encouragement and support in preparing for the loss of a beloved companion.

A note from Katherine...

From my own separate experiences with pet loss in my personal life, and in different ways of working with grieving pet owners in my professional life, I have come to know first hand the issues and problems connected with loving, losing and memorializing our special companions.

With over 5 years of experience as a volunteer with the Companion Animal Pet Grief Support telephone service and as a Facilitator for the Pet Grief Support Group, I found a way to work through my grief and come to terms with the loss of my own pet seven years earlier. Discovering how deeply the death of my pet affected me, I knew that it was imperative that I redirect my career into the field of pet loss.

My own experience has taught me that it is better to plan for the death of our pets as far in advance as we can. I hope to share with you what I have learned. This information is my effort to provide you with the direction, comfort and support you will need in advance of your pet’s death, so that when the time comes, you will understand what options are available for the final disposition of your pet’s body; so that you can preplan what will happen to your pet’s body after death and so you can draw closure on the special relationship you have with your pet.