Where Do All the Pets Go? An inclusive coloring book with interactive activities to help children navigate the loss of a beloved animal companion.
Where Do All the Pets Go? Good Question! One day our pets will leave us, and it's ok to feel sad or mad or even bad. Our pets are our best friends and family, and it's always sad when our family have to go away. Let's read and color all the places they might go and talk about their journey along the way. Are you ready?
So many of us have gone through the journey of loss of a beloved pet when we were younger and really struggled with the sadness and many questions afterwards. Questions maybe our family couldn't or didn't want to answer because lots of us were taught never to talk about death in an open and honest way - let alone about our animal companions.
Sadly there is still so much shame and stigma around pet loss which we hope to change by offering coloring books like "Where Do All the Pets Go?" to help kids understand all the different feelings and questions about this deep loss. For many people, the death of a pet is one of the first significant losses they experience and it sets the tone for how they deal with future losses going forward (and this doesn't even have to be related specifically to death).
We wanted to create an inclusive and easy to follow coloring book for kids age (around 4-10) to walk through the process of losing a pet which will allow children and families to create a dialogue around this really difficult, yet beautiful, process. We believe that the activity of coloring the pages and completing interactive games (with help if needed) will allow children to open up more about their feelings, provide validation, and allow them to ask questions and talk about their pet in a way that makes them feel like they are ok no matter how they are feeling.
There is no shying away from talking about death and labeling it as such with this book. We believe that being honest with children is so important in helping them process the loss, and the many losses they will experience in their lifetime. This book will help set the tone for how they process grief and loss as they continue to grow.
Included:
A place to dedicate the book to your own pets
Coloring book pages
Interactive puzzles
Self-Expression journal page
"Where Do All the Pets Go?" was written and designed by founder of Pet Loss Light and Shop Modern Pet Loss (coming soon), a Pet Loss Grief Support Specialist and Certified Coach, Erin N. Johnson. She is a huge animal lover and supports people going through the difficult, yet beautiful process of losing a pet. The bonds with our animals are so special and it is truly a gift that we get to have them as part of our families, albeit for too short a time.
The author, Erin N. Johnson, is a Pet Loss Grief Support Specialist and Certified Coach dedicated to helping people and animals through her companies Pet Loss Light, online retailer Modern Pet Loss and Cats +Mountains (www.petlosslight.com). She is a Brooklynite at heart who lives with her pawsome cat Skylar and deeply misses her soulmate cat Nyla who crossed over the rainbow bridge at 21 years old. Erin has been through the process of losing a pet many times which promoted her to want to help others navigate this heartbreaking yet beautiful process. She wants to teach people that grief isn't linear and to normalize the deep feelings involved in pet loss for families. With over 20 years working in helping professions and starting her own non-profit to provide grants to those who cannot afford veterinary care - this career shift was a natural next step and it has been an incredible rewarding journey full of lots of love and light.
