Bereavement Counseling: Using a Social Work Model for Pet Loss

Approximately half of American households include at least one companion animal. These anilmas quickly become members of the family. When the animal dies, the human grieves the loss much as they would gieve the death of any family member. This article presents a social work model for assisting clients with pet loss. This model blends traditional grief therapy with the ecosystems perspective of social work practice, and applies that to loss specific to the death of a companion animal. Social workers must increase their competence in addresing issues of pet loss with clients. This model can provide a fundation for the development of the competence.