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The loss of an animal companion is often just as devastating as the death of a
human loved one. And, it actually take years to actively continue and grow in
our life journeys
following such a loss. Below, we have included some of our favorite books and
kits to help kindle many ways to more positively acknowledge this loss, for a
cherished friend or relative . . . or, for yourself.
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Rainbows & Bridges: An Animal Companion
Memorial Kit
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Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet
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Saying Goodbye to your Angel Animals
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Even Bad Dogs Go to Heaven: More from The Dog
Chapel
Rainbows & Bridges: An Animal Companion
Memorial Kit
 The loss of an
animal
companion is often just as devastating as the death of a human loved one.
Published by New World Library in 2005, this
wonderful memorial kit from clergy members Linda and
Allen Anderson is a heartwarming and unique way to help those healing from such
a loss. The couple addresses the spectrum of feelings that can arise, such as despair, loneliness, anger, alienation,
disappointment, and self-doubt.
Filled with inspirational ideas and exercises, Rainbows & Bridges walks
the bereft through the process of remembering the past, grieving in the present,
and finding hope for the future. Price: $23.00
Susan Chernak McElroy,
author,
Animals
as Teachers & Healers
and
All
My Relations: Living with Animals As Teachers & Healers
"Let me say this about Rainbows and Bridges: I love it. I treasure it. Allen and
Linda Anderson have left no question unposed, no conflict bypassed, no
reflection unacknowledged. If you are facing or have faced the loss of a beloved
animal friend, let this book be your companion and your comfort. There exists no
better exploration of this Landscape of Loss than you will find here."
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The Memorial Kit includes the following:
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Rainbows & Bridges Finding Comfort after the Loss of Your Animal
Friend ─
128-page book designed to serve as a guide for allowing grief to follow its
natural course. |
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Rainbows & Bridges Celebration of a Life Journal ─ A 80-page guided journal
questions and prompts with space for writing and keeping a scrapbook to
encourage those who have lost an animal companion to create mementos in
honor of their animals. |
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Rainbows & Bridges Meditation Cards ─ A set of 20 cards with brief
reflections to help people gain peace and perspective about losing an animal
companion who has made an important and special contribution to their lives.
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Rainbows & Bridges Memorial Cards ─ Outlines and reading for three types of
memorial services: religious, secular, and nature based.
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The front cover of the box is additionally a frame designed to display a
photo of the beloved pet. Also included in the kit is the touching story of
the Rainbow Bridge — the place where animals go after they die until the day
comes and they team up with their human companions and can walk over the
bridge together.
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Saying Goodbye to your Angel Animals: Finding Comfort After Losing Your Pets
In this thoughtful book, Allen and Linda Anderson walk you
through the numbing pain and dreadful sense of loss that arise when
a beloved animal dies. They offer solace to help you deal with
grief, remember and honor key moments in the animal’s life, find
comfort through groups and with professionals, and get past the
depression. They also include exercises, affirmations, and
meditations to use through the various stages of grief. The
Andersons’ caring, practical advice covers all aspects of pet loss,
offering guidance on:
- Helping children grieve
- Honoring your religious beliefs
- Grieving for runaway pets
- Helping others know what to say or do to console you
- Planning an appropriate memorial ceremony or tribute
The book also explores the concept of after-death experiences of
departed companion animals and relates many beautiful stories,
including the Rainbow Bridge story, that reinforce the love and
sense of peace that come from honoring the place animals hold in our
lives.
Price: $14.00
Take some time to check out the incredible
Table of Contents and the
book's Introduction.
“Allen and Linda
Anderson’s book gives us permission to acknowledge the intense bond
we have with our animal companions and the deep loss we can
experience after their deaths. It provides helpful stories,
exercises, and memorial services respecting a variety of beliefs.
Infused with kindness, their work offers us help, hope, and a
rainbow during the storm. I have learned from it and will celebrate
and share it.”
— The Reverend Mary Piper, Episcopal priest and chaplain,
cofounder of the pet loss support program at Heart of the Valley
Humane Society in Bozeman, Montana
“This masterful and beautiful book is rich with wisdom, inspiration,
and sound advice....With sensitivity and compassion as well as
practical information, the Andersons gently and deftly guide us
through the complex labyrinth of emotions associated with grief. I
highly recommend this thoughtful, illuminating, and comforting
book.”
— Diane Pomerance, PhD, creator and director of the Pet Grief
Counseling Program, SPCA of Texas, and author of
When Your Pet Dies
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Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet
After Gary Kowalski, author and the minister of Burlington Vermont's
Unitarian Universalist church, completed his new book, Goodbye, Friend, on
dealing with losing your pet, his own elderly dog, Chinook, died. In his first
book, The Souls of Animals, Kowalski wrote: "My own wise friend is my dog. He
has deep knowledge to impart." Apparently, Chinook did his good work up until
the end. Kowalski's new book is full of sound, compassionate advice to get you
through the loss of your pet(s). Included are ideas for rituals and ceremonies,
spiritual guidance and readings and poems to use for solace.
The author's voice
is a soothing one, not surprising for a minister whose job it is to be wise and
reflective. The book also addresses animals' grieving; their life spans; their
growth, illnesses and needs. These are similar to ours: need to eat, to
exercise, to sleep, to have fun, to enjoy companionship and to expect routine.
Kowalski includes advice on how to take care of yourself after the death of a
pet and the importance of honesty when talking with children about this event.
Kowalski's book is not only useful for healing when a good friend dies, but also
reasserts his primary message: that animals are important, that "pets are not
petty," that they deserve our respect and our kind care. As Kowalski writes,
"Animals enrich our lives in countless ways, with their playfulness, their
tranquility [sic], their constancy, and their love..." This book will help
readers mourn and remember them well.
Gary Kowalski currently serves as minister to the First Unitarian Universalist
Society of Burlington, Vermont. He holds degrees from Harvard College and
Harvard Divinity School.
Reverend Kowalski has
written several books, including The Souls of
Animals,
The
Bible According To Noah: Theology As If Animals Mattered,
Science and the Search for G-d, and
Revolutionary Spirits: The Enlightened Faith of America's Founding Fathers.
Price: $12.00
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Dr. Marty
Becker, Resident Veterinarian on ABC TV's Good Morning America, author of
The Healing
Power of Pets
"Saying goodbye to a pet soul-mate is something we dread but must
inevitably accept. Goodbye, Friend offers answers that are
woven into a tapestry of care, compassion and unconditional love for
the pets with whom we've shared our hearts and homes. Then, we can
become much more than our pet's best friend — we can become healers,
teachers and angels for our friends and family when they, too, lose
a beloved pet."
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Even Bad Dogs Go to Heaven: More from The Dog Chapel
The Dog Chapel introduced readers to Stephen Huneck's very special retreat
for dogs and their owners, and his dog-centric philosophy captured the public's
attention. In this book, a follow-up to that perennial seller, readers will
learn more about the special affection owners reserve for dogs that have passed
on. Pet owners come to the Dog Chapel in Vermont to remember and memorialize
their beloved dogs. All along the walls and on every available surface, visitors
leave pictures, letters, and testimonials about the dogs that have passed away.
People who have just lost a pet find comfort in this outpouring of emotion, and
use the walls to bid farewell to their canine friends. This book celebrates this
affection and reflects on the life cycle of our beloved dogs. It is the perfect
gift for a bereaved pet owner, or anyone who believes that dogs have a special
place in human life.
This hardcover book with jacket, published on September 1, 2010, is sized at 8½"
x 8½", with 80 pages and 33 gorgeous full-color
illustrations. Price: $19.95.
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Additional books on bereavement can
be found below:
Bereavement books for Adults
Bereavement books for Children
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Books & Kits to Help with Dog Loss
