Healing After The Loss Of A Pet
🌈 Healing After Pet Loss: Support, Reflection, and Community in Colorado.
For many of us, pets aren’t just companions — they’re family. They celebrate our wins, comfort us in sadness, and fill our homes with unconditional love. Losing a beloved animal is heartbreaking, and the grief that follows can feel overwhelming.
If you're on this difficult path, you're not alone — and Colorado has many heartfelt ways to help you heal.
🐾 The Rainbow Bridge: A Poem That Brings Comfort
One of the most shared tributes in pet loss communities is The Rainbow Bridge — a poem about pets waiting in a sunny meadow until they reunite with their humans. Though often credited as “Author Unknown,” the original writer was Edna Clyne-Rekhy, whose words continue to bring solace across generations.
💬 Grieving Your Way: Reflections from Bailing Out Benji
Grief doesn’t follow a timeline or a checklist — it’s deeply personal. These quotes from the nonprofit Bailing Out Benji offer gentle reminders:
“Don’t let anyone tell you how to feel, and don’t tell yourself how to feel either.”
“If you have chosen euthanasia for your pet, be sure to see it through with them.”
“Reach out to others who have lost pets.”
You can read their full article here.
📚 Helping Children Cope
For young hearts, The Invisible Leash by Patrice Karst is a gentle, emotionally resonant story that helps children process pet loss. It frames grief in an accessible way and offers comfort without minimizing emotions.
🏞️ Colorado Pet Loss Support Groups
Here in Colorado, many compassionate groups offer space to reflect, share, and begin healing:
In-Person Groups
- CSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital – Fort Collins (1st Saturday, 10–11:30 a.m.)
- Community Grief Center – Greeley (3rd Saturday, 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m.)
- Humane Society of Boulder Valley – Boulder (1st Saturday: group, 3rd Saturday: hike)
- “Fur-ever In Our Hearts” – Thornton (Last Friday, 6:30–8 p.m.)
- “Moving Forward with Pet Loss Grief” – Westminster (Tuesdays, 6–7:30 p.m.)
Virtual Groups & Drop-In Options
- Human Animal Bond Trust – Thursdays via Zoom (6:30–8 p.m.)
- AATPC Virtual Support Group – Fridays at 12 p.m. MST
- Caring Pathways – Monthly virtual meetings + personal sessions
- Colorado Veterinary Medical Foundation & Petaid Colorado – Thursdays in Denver (6:30–8 p.m.)
🌐 Online Communities
Not in Colorado or prefer private reflection? These online options offer connection from anywhere:
- Animal Love and Loss Network (Facebook)
- Lap of Love (Zoom support and resources)
- Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement (APLB)
💌 Final Thoughts
When we lose a pet, we lose a confidant, a friend, a little heartbeat in our daily life. But with time, compassion, and support, healing is possible.
💬 If you’d like to share your pet’s story or photo, we welcome memorials and reflections. Your companion may be gone from sight — but they’re forever in your heart.