Pet Loss: Thoughtful Guide for Adults and Children, A (Paperback)

by Herbert A. Nieburg (Author) "This book belongs to all of us who have ever loved a pet..." (more)
Key Phrases: pet replacement, pet loss, humane death, United States, New York City (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Thoroughly researched and expertly written, this comprehensive guide is a must for animal lovers dealing with the loss of a pet.

The death of a pet can cause enormous feelings of sorrow, guilt, and loneliness for children and adults alike, whether the end comes through old age, illness, sudden death, or euthanasia. Yet pet owners are often inhibited in their very real grief, even if the animal was considered a full-fledged family member, a child's favored playmate, or an elderly person's faithful companion. In Pet Loss, the authors acknowledge and encourage such grief, and assert that pet owners must learn to cope with the death of an animal as they would with any significant loss--by expressing their feelings and coming to terms with their grief. At once a practical guide and an emotional support, Pet Loss offers unique advice for owners faced with an animal's passing, from the difficult decision to put a pet to sleep to dealing with a veterinarian or making funeral or cremation arrangements.

Other questions answered in this book include:

• Do animals go off by themselves to die?

• How can children be helped with their grief over the death of a family pet?

• When an animal has to be put to sleep, what is the best method?

• How and when should one take in a new pet?

• How much can a vet be expected to do?

About the Author
Herbert A. Nieburg, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist specializing in grief therapy at Four Winds Hospital in Katonah, New York, as well as in the instruction of veterinary professionals in the psychological impact of pet death.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (February 16, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060926783
• ISBN-13: 978-0060926786
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #190,081 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Better than nothing, but not the best, January 28, 2001

By A Customer

I was glad to see the previous reader found great solace in this book. I am glad I bought it because at the time it was the only book I could find as I dashed to the airport, and it was better to have something on this topic than nothing as I grieved the new loss of my dear Kitty. But I would not recommend this book highly -- and if you are on Amazon you have a lot of books available at your fingertips. This author is a psychologist and takes a distinctly psychological approach to the subject. I was seeking a more spiritual/emotional approach, particularly because my Kitty died very young and under mysterious circumstances. The psychologist author identifies the process of grief and frequently discusses what is appropriate or inappropriate. If that interests you, this book will be helpful. Personally, I was not at all interested in clinical definitions of inappropriate grief when I was feeling overwhelmed with my own. But everyone is different, so this book may be helpful to you; we each grieve in our own way. I at least was grateful to have a book/person to validate my grief, which so many people seemed to want to dismiss with the attitude "It's only an animal."

An author whose approach I found much more spiritual/emotional and comforting was James Van Praagh. There is one chapter devoted to pet loss in his book Healing Grief : Reclaiming Life After Any Loss. I was surprised to discover he is a medium, as I normally don't go in for psychic stuff. But the chapter on pet loss in not weird or New Age-ish. It is steeped in love, and the author writes with gentleness and sensitivity of the eternal souls of our beloved animals and the mutual bonds of love that endure beyond mortal death.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wisdom for trying times, February 2, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Lutherville, Maryland USA) - See all my reviews

I took this trusty volume off of my book shelf for the second time in three years this week. Its wisdom, advice, and understanding tone is a great comfort when the most innocent member of your family has made their final exit. Mimi, in my case, was only two years old, making this read extremely difficult, but extremely necessary. I thank the book for helping me understand that what I'm experiencing is natural and necessary in order to start the healing process. With information on the stages of grief, the emotions one experiences, and the consolation that the hurt will get better, Pet Loss has helped me once again say goodbye to a loving dog.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars God-send for emotional pain through loss, February 25, 2005

By	A. O'hara "The O'Hara" (Greenville, SC USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the most cathartic experience I've EVER had, for it releases unconscious emotions which need to be unharnessed, leading you gently toward healing. Please be good to yourself and read this book, which has been a true God-send to me!