For those grieving a pet
Losing them is a real loss. Your grief is real too.
This pathway stands on equal footing with our caregiver and grief pathways — because it is.
A letter from the founder
“I've had ten dogs over my lifetime. I've lost one who never came home, one to an accident, and five to age and illness — including one I had to help pass peacefully. I understand this grief because I've lived it, more than once.”
— read the full letter →
Before you begin
What you're about to walk through is real grief, for a real relationship — even if the world around you doesn't always treat it that way. This course moves through The Balance Path™: four phases (Relax, Restore, Rebuild, Rise) that you can enter anywhere and return to as often as you need. There's no pace to keep here.
You're free to pause, skip a lesson that feels too heavy today, or come back to it later — nothing here is a checklist. If a photo, a name, or a memory catches you off guard, that's normal; step away and return when you're ready. Before you start, it may help to have someone or something supportive nearby — a person you trust, a journal, or simply a quiet space.
This course offers education and self-reflection, not therapy, veterinary care, or a clinical diagnosis.
If you need support right now: if you're in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, please call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or call 911. This course is a companion alongside that kind of care — never a replacement for it.
Free sample chapter
“My Pet Just Passed: How Can I Move On?”
Read Chapter One: Relax, free — no purchase required.