Pet Loss Support Group Specialist Certificate 

Overview 

The need for companion animal grief support  

The death of a companion animal is a significant loss, and yet for many people, there is little formal support through their pet bereavement period. Their grief is often misunderstood, minimized, or dismissed. There is a recognized term for this experience: disenfranchised grief after pet loss, or grief that is not fully acknowledged or supported by society. 

This is in part because training in grief following companion animal loss is not consistently included in professional education for veterinarians, counselors, clergy, and human services professionals. All of whom regularly encounter pet loss. As a result, grief often goes unaddressed. 

Research shows that when grief is validated, named, and supported through structured frameworks, individuals experience healthier adjustment and long-term well-being. 

Build trust and show up with your values  

This Pet Loss Support Group Specialist Certificate introduces an academic, practice-ready approach to companion animal loss and grief.  

Designed for professionals and community leaders, the program equips learners to support pet guardians in the days, weeks, months, and even years following loss. With these skills, you can:  

• Honor the meaningful relationship deserving of care, ritual, and remembrance 
• Align the way you show up for others with your core values 
• Build trust as a helpful support person 
• Reframe pet loss not as something to “move on from”  

What You’ll Learn 

The curriculum blends modern psychology, neuroscience of grief, thanatology, and the emerging field of anthrozoology (the study of the human–animal bond).  

By the end of this certificate program, you’ll be able to: 

• Apply grief models to pet loss contexts. 
• Facilitate pet loss support groups. 
• Recognize disenfranchised grief and validate emotional experiences. 
• Navigate discussions around euthanasia or sudden loss. 
• Establish healthy professional boundaries and self-care practices. 

Who Should Enroll 

The need for pet loss support specialists shows up in many professional and community settings. 

This pet loss support group training is ideal if you are: 

• A veterinarian, veterinary technician, or front-line veterinary staff member 
• A counselor, social worker, therapist, or certified grief counselor 
• An end-of-life care provider or companion animal doula 
• A human services or wellness professional supporting grieving clients
• An animal-assisted/therapy pet handler 
• Someone seeking a structured pathway for how to become a pet loss support group specialist 

How is this certificate different from UVM’s Companion Animal End-of-Life Doula program? 

UVM is widely recognized as a national leader in end-of-life doula education, offering one of the first university-based professional certificate programs in this field. Our End-of-Life Care programs are designed to work together as part of a comprehensive learning pathway.

While these two programs are complementary, they serve distinct phases of support:

• Companion Animal End-of-Life Doula Certificate:

  Focuses on the pre-death and active dying phase, preparing professionals to support pet guardians during terminal illness, end-of-life decision-making, and immediate after-death care. 

• Pet Loss Support Group Specialist Certificate:

  Focuses on the post-loss phase, equipping professionals to support individuals and communities through grief and bereavement in the days, months, or years following a pet’s death. 

For many people, the Pet Loss Support Group Specialist Certificate serves as a next step after companion animal doula training. Or, as a standalone credential for professionals focused on long-term grief support.

Course Experience 

Students will engage in evidence-based learning that blends theory with real-world application. Assignments emphasize both professional skill-building and reflective understanding of pet grief. 

The course includes: 

• Self-paced modules with multimedia lessons 
• Case studies across veterinary, clinical, and community settings 
• Practical group facilitation and companioning frameworks 
• Field projects which will require observations and interactions with others, such as observing people interacting with their pets in a variety of settings, and actively companioning someone through a day 
• Reflective writing and applied activities to reflect on their skills and abilities 
• Discussion boards for shared learning and integration 
• Optional live instructor touch point opportunities  
• A directory of multimedia resources to support further learning 

This certificate emphasizes skills you can use immediately for counseling your clients and community through pet loss.

UVM offers the Pet Loss Support Group Specialist Certificate 3 times per year.

Instructors

• 

  Niki Vettel, M.A., M.Ed.

  Instructor

  More Info

Outcomes 

For many learners, this work is about aligning professional skills with personal values—showing up for grief with compassion, clarity, and respect for the human–animal bond. 

Upon completion of the Pet Loss Support Group Specialist Certificate, you’ll be prepared to: 

• Facilitate pet loss grief support groups
• Provide grief companioning across multiple species and loss scenarios  
• Integrate pet loss support into clinical, veterinary, or community practice 
• Validate and normalize grief experiences tied to companion animal loss 

FAQ