Pet Loss and Children: Establishing a Health Foundation [Paperback]

Cheri Barton Ross (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 041594919X | ISBN-13: 978-0415949194 | Publication Date: February 27, 2005 | Edition: 1

Explaining the concept of death to a child is a very difficult, confusing, and uncomfortable experience for a parent, educator, or therapist, and it is a topic that is often first introduced by the loss of a pet - sometimes a child's earliest exposure to loss and grief. There is an undeniably special bond that develops between people and their pets, especially between animals and young children, and while the death of a pet can be devastating to an adult, children are often deeply affected by such a loss. Without readily available outlets for their feelings, the trauma of pet loss can remain with a child for life, and without help many adults feel inadequate and not up to the task. The aim of this book is to provide therapists, counselors, educators, parents, social workers, veterinarians, and physicians with resources to help children cope with the loss of a pet.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'The loss of a beloved pet is a profound training ground for helping us to accept and process loss at every other level of our lives. Pet Loss and Children offers practical and meaningful tools for helping children navigate pet loss in a way that empowers, supports, and honors them. A must-read for anyone with – or working with – children.' - Susan Chernak McElroy, author of Animals as Teachers and Healers

'This thoughtful, thorough and sensitive book offers advice and insights for the parents, teachers, caretakers, and therapists who care for children suffering from the loss of a companion animal. Cheri Barton Ross validates and explains the importance of the human-animal bond on every page. This book enables adults to help children grow and learn from a painful life experience.' - Enid Traisman, author of My Personal Pet Remembrance Journal

 

About the Author

Cheri Barton Ross, MA, is a published author, journalist and pet lover. She is the founder and facilitator of the Redwood Empire Veterinary Medical Association Pet Loss Support Group, through which she has worked with numerous children and their families experiencing pet loss. She and her husband own a small veterinary clinic in Santa Rosa, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (February 27, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 041594919X
• ISBN-13: 978-0415949194
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,214,303 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Cheri Barton Ross is a professional writer and published author. She has written for many periodicals ncluding movie and television publications, family magazines, as well as business magazines and newspapers. Ross was the editor of a film and television production magazine in Los Angeles, CA, in which she gained both experience and insight in working in the entertainment business. She has an undergraduate degree in Journalism and a Master's degree in Psychology. She teaches death, dying and aging as an adjunct psychology professor at Santa Rosa Junior College (Santa Rosa, CA). She is the founder of the Redwood Empire Veterinary Medical Associations Pet Loss Support Group. She is the published author of the1998, Accelerated Development book, 'Pet Loss & Human Emotion, Guiding Clients Through grief.' One of the first books ever written to teach therapists about pet loss. Her book, 'Pet Loss & Children, Establishing a Healthy Foundation,' was released in March of 2005 (Taylor &Francis book publishers, NY, NY). It is the first book to fully address the bonds children share with their pets and the depth of the loss that is felt when those bonds are broken. Ross has been interviewed as an expert in this field and her interviews appear in such notable magazines as "Parents," (2009). The revised edition of "Pet Loss & Human Emotion, a Guide to Recovery," was published in 2007. This book was used as supporting documentation for the "Animal Act Bill," in which pet parents are to be evacuated with their pets. The book includes the work of the Hurricane Katrina Animal Rescue Workers. Ross presented at a conference in WA, DC addressing the animal rescue volunteers.In 2003 she received the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network Founders Award (FAAN, Fairfax, VA) for her 'having a broad impact on food allergy issues.' Ross created and implemented a Celebrity Ad Campaign informing people about food allergies. She has worked as both an actress and model. Her play, 'The Cottage,' is adapted from her 1999, screenplay, and was held as a staged reading at the Sandi Shurin Theater in NYC in 2005. She and her veterinarian Husband, Dr. Mark Ross, live with their three children and plethora of pets in Santa Rosa, CA.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Significant and Helpful Resource, May 15, 2011

By 

Betty J. Carmack - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pet Loss and Children: Establishing a Health Foundation (Paperback)

Cheri Barton Ross has given us a valuable and extremely helpful resource for supporting children through the loss of their animal companions. I often refer to this book when I have a question specific to children's loss and subsequent grief. When parents ask about resources for their children who are either already grieving or are anticipating the loss of their animal, I let them know about this book. When I write and speak on pet loss, I include this book on my reference lists. Why? Because Cheri Barton Ross combines her knowledge and experience in a way that clearly shows that the grief that children experience for their loved animal companions is just as real and just as painful as that felt by adults. The chapters address the core areas of the experience of pet loss in children. The book's thoroughness and relevance make it useful for, among others, parents, grandparents,veterinary staff, pastoral care staff and teachers as well as those in the counseling professions. Its relevance clearly cuts across a variety of situations. Thank you, Cheri Ross, for contributing to our body of knowledge and clinical practice. You have given us a resource that allows us to better support children as they grieve for their beloved animal companions. Betty J. Carmack, R.N., Ed.D., author, GRIEVING THE DEATH OF A PET.