Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement

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Kawkawlin, MI
Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement

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The APLB offers free online chat sessions with trained pet loss grief specialists. Excellence- endeavors to cultivate and train our team(s).

Our vision is to foster a society in which on-going empathetic pet loss and grief support services are widely accepted and available to pet families. The APLB's core values are the following:
Compassion- is constant in our efforts to provide an atmosphere of understanding of a pet parent’s pain in grief and we have a desire to mitigate that pain through coping strategies and support resources. Integrity- is dedicated to pursuing honest, transparent and ethical initiatives that will enhance our member benefits to our loyal members. Empowerment- strives to empower our members with education, networking and opportunities to engage in providing support to others. Goal setting and achieving those benchmarks are vital to our success. Community- is committed to collaborating and partnering with other organizations, associations and for-profit businesses to foster synergy and best practices for pet parents and pet industry professionals. Fiscal responsibility- is unwavering in our commitment to set standards of fiscal procedures and internal controls that demonstrate our responsibility to the fees collected and donations received.

11/02/2026

Connection Is Medicine

Research confirms what grief counselors have long known: social connection is one of the most powerful factors in resilience and recovery. If you are isolated in your grief, reaching out — even online — can begin to change that.

What form of connection has helped you most in your grief — in person, online, or both?

10/31/2026

From Mourner to Helper

Dr. Sife (founder of APLB) describes a beautiful transformation: people who come to APLB for help — and later stay to help others. Grief, when it is met with enough support, can become the foundation for extraordinary compassion. That is the story of this community.

Have you found yourself supporting others through pet loss grief after going through it yourself? What was that like?

10/27/2026

The Gift of Being Understood

There is a particular kind of relief that comes from being truly understood in your grief — from not having to explain or justify it. That's what peer support in pet loss offers. You walk in and no one asks 'was it really that bad?' They already know.

What did it mean to you to be with people who simply understood — without explanation?

10/26/2026

You Are Part of Something

When you grieve a pet, you are not alone — you are part of a vast, loving community of people who understand what it means to have their world changed by an animal companion. That community is here. You belong in it.

When did you first realize you were not alone in your grief — that others truly understood?

10/21/2026

Be Gentle With Yourself on Hard Days

On the days when grief surges back — the anniversaries, the first spring without them — try to be as gentle with yourself as you would be with a dear friend in pain. You don't have to be okay. You just have to get through the day.

What has helped you get through the especially hard days in your grief journey?

10/19/2026

Their Birthday

Many pet owners observe their pet's birthday even after their passing — and there is nothing unusual about that. Marking the day they came into the world acknowledges the full arc of the life you shared. Celebrate it if it brings you comfort.

Do you observe your pet's birthday after their passing — and what does that day feel like for you?

10/18/2026

Create New Traditions

One way to honor your pet during the holidays is to create a new tradition in their name — donating to a shelter, lighting a candle at dinner, leaving their photo on the table. These acts transform grief into tribute.

Have you created a new holiday tradition in honor of your pet? What does it look like?

10/17/2026

Their Empty Place at the Table

Holidays and anniversaries can make grief suddenly fresh again — even years after a loss. The empty space at the usual spot, the gap in what used to be whole. These days deserve to be acknowledged, not white-knuckled through.

Which holiday or time of year is hardest for you in your grief — and how have you learned to move through it?

10/14/2026

Are you or any of your clients interested in participating in an anonymous survey on the grief following the death of a pet? The survey takes about 20-30 minutes to complete. This work is being done by Meghan Strange, a Doctoral Candidate at the Department of Clinical Psychology at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. You can access the survey at: https://redcap.pcom.edu/surveys/?s=87JPA3MM4EL4H8MA

10/12/2026

They Were Made for Us, and We for Them

There is something in the human-animal bond that feels almost designed — as though we needed each other in a deep way. Dr. Sife (founder of the APLB) in 'The Loss of a Pet' writes about this as one of the great spiritual realities of companion animals: they call out something essential in us.

What did your pet call out in you — what part of yourself did loving them reveal?

Address

Kawkawlin, MI

Website

http://www.aplb.org/

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