Pet Loss Grief Support Articles — K9 Hearts

K9 Hearts publishes evidence-based pet loss grief support articles written by Paige Cummings — a credentialed grief support professional with nearly 30 years of experience supporting families through loss.

For the grief that changed everything. You are not alone here.

Not sure where to start? Try searching: guilt, grief timeline, support groups, memorialize, children

What Do You Do When the Grief of Losing Your Dog Feels Too Heavy to Carry?

What Do You Do When the Grief of Losing Your Dog Feels Too Heavy to Carry?

When the grief of losing your dog stops being something you are moving through and starts being something you are stuck inside, you do not have to carry it alone. This is a complete guide to free support groups, hotlines, online communities, Facebook groups, and professional pet loss counselors — organized by what you need right now.

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What is a Heart Dog?

What is a Heart Dog?

A heart dog is not just the dog you loved most — it is the dog who became part of how you survived a season, understood yourself, or found your way back to something real. K9 Hearts founder Paige Cummings explores what a heart dog is, how to recognize one, and why the grief when they are gone — or leaving — feels like nothing else.

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What Anticipatory Grief Actually Feels Like, Day by Day: A Guide for Those Watching Their Dog Decline

What Anticipatory Grief Actually Feels Like, Day by Day: A Guide for Those Watching Their Dog Decline

What does anticipatory grief actually feel like when your dog is dying? This honest, research-informed guide walks through the daily emotional reality — morning quality-of-life assessments, nighttime fear, guilt, exhaustion, and impossible decisions — and offers practical support for those living inside pet loss grief before the loss occurs. Written by Paige Cummings, founder of K9 Hearts, whose own experience with Charlie's decline shaped K9 Hearts' grief support mission.

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