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Books for Pet Loss: Comfort When Your Companion Dies

Pet loss · 4 min read · First published 2026 · Updated November 2026

A clay paw print on a wooden table beside dried flowers
Photo by Kristin Kenney on Unsplash

When a pet dies, you lose a daily companion, a routine and a piece of your heart. Some people feel they should be "over it" quickly, or hide how much it hurts. You don't have to. Your grief is real, and it is love.

These books can keep you company. Some are for grown-ups, and a few are picture books to share with children, who often feel a pet's death very deeply.

For grown-ups

Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet by Gary Kowalski (New World Library). Short, quiet reflections on love, guilt, the decision to say goodbye, and remembering. Kowalski is an ordained minister, and the book is spiritual and open to many beliefs. [affiliate link: Goodbye, Friend]

The Loss of a Pet: A Guide to Coping with the Grieving Process When a Pet Dies by Wallace Sife, PhD (Howell Books, fourth edition, 2014). Sife, a psychologist, founded the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement, and this is a thorough guide to the many parts of pet grief, including guilt, anger and the decision about euthanasia. [affiliate link: The Loss of a Pet]

When Your Pet Dies: A Guide to Mourning, Remembering and Healing by Alan D. Wolfelt, PhD (Companion Press, 2004). A short, warm book from a respected grief educator, with ideas for mourning and remembering your companion. [affiliate link: When Your Pet Dies]

Coping with Sorrow on the Loss of Your Pet by Moira Anderson Allen. Draws on the stories of many pet owners and covers grief, guilt, memorials and the decision to euthanize, and touches on whether pets go to heaven. The author's latest edition is available in print and as an e-book. [affiliate link: Coping with Sorrow on the Loss of Your Pet]

Saying Goodbye to Your Angel Animals: Finding Comfort After Losing Your Pet by Allen and Linda Anderson (New World Library). Comforting stories, meditations and reflections about the bond between people and animals, with a spiritual feeling that is not tied to one religion. [affiliate link: Saying Goodbye to Your Angel Animals]

For children, and to share together

Dog Heaven by Cynthia Rylant (Scholastic, 1995). A soft, simple picture book that imagines a happy place for dogs. It speaks of heaven, so it fits families who believe in an afterlife and may not suit every family. [affiliate link: Dog Heaven]

The Tenth Good Thing About Barney by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Erik Blegvad (Atheneum). A boy's cat has died, and he tries to think of ten good things to say at the funeral. It is a kind way to talk about burying a pet and remembering what we loved. [affiliate link: The Tenth Good Thing About Barney]

Goodbye Mog by Judith Kerr (HarperCollins Children's Books). Mog the cat has died, and the family says goodbye and, in time, welcomes a kitten. It is a British paperback, and it can be shipped to the U.S. [affiliate link: Goodbye Mog]

If you are helping a child through the loss of a pet, there is no need to hurry them. Answer their questions simply and honestly, and let them say goodbye in their own way, perhaps with a drawing, a photo or a small ceremony.

For ways to remember your companion, see pet memorial ideas.

Sources

Written by Words to Comfort

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