Includes bibliographical references (p. 184-188).

This book is a collection of inspiring and often heart-wrenching letters written to the author about their own experiences with losing a beloved pet. Representing a wide variety of grief experiences, this one-of-a-kind book takes an intimate look at the way we react to the loss of our animal friends and how others can help or hurt the healing process that follows such a loss. While there is no magic cure for getting over a loss or even adjusting to it, one surprisingly simple method that has helped many people is talking and listening to others who have experienced a similar incident the people-helping-people dynamic known as self-help. In this sense, Healing the Pain of Pet Loss is a self-help group in a book and while, of course, there is not the verbal sharing that occurs when people are physically together, this book inspires a similar kind of interaction between the book reader and the letter writers.