Goodbye Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost A Pet
(Revised and Expanded Edition, New World Library, 2012)
Click to purchase on Amazon
As a parish minister, members of my congregation frequently come seeking guidance when their pets die. Annually, at the Blessing of the Animals celebration in our church, dozens come forward to light a candle of remembrance for their beloved soul mates.
I started writing this book when my own dear dog Chinook was eleven years old. At that point,I could foresee the inevitable. Yet one is never fully prepared for the final blow.
The bond we share with animals is very pure and direct, which makes the pain of losing them particularly intense. This book is written for all those experiencing sorrow; for parents explaining death to children; for those coping with untimely or traumatic loss or wondering whether the time has come to administer euthanasia and a merciful farewell. You'll find helpful suggestions for celebrating your pet's life and poetry to heal your spirit, whatever your faith.
If this book helps dry one tear, my goal will have been attained.
Reverend Gary Kowalski
“Saying good bye to a pet soulmate is something we dread but must inevitably accept.
Goodbye Friend provides answers that are woven into a tapestry of care, compassion, and unconditional love for the pets with whom we’ve shared our hearts and homes. Then, we can become much more than our pet’s best friend — we can become healers, teachers, and angels for our friends and family when they, too, lose a
beloved pet.”
— Marty Becker, DVM, coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
"This wonderful book is the best guide I know of that can help us deal with the death of our animal companions whom the more we love the more we will grieve."
— Dr. Michael W. Fox, Veterinarian and past Vice President, Humane Society of the United States
I started writing this book when my own dear dog Chinook was eleven years old. At that point,I could foresee the inevitable. Yet one is never fully prepared for the final blow.
The bond we share with animals is very pure and direct, which makes the pain of losing them particularly intense. This book is written for all those experiencing sorrow; for parents explaining death to children; for those coping with untimely or traumatic loss or wondering whether the time has come to administer euthanasia and a merciful farewell. You'll find helpful suggestions for celebrating your pet's life and poetry to heal your spirit, whatever your faith.
If this book helps dry one tear, my goal will have been attained.
Reverend Gary Kowalski
“Saying good bye to a pet soulmate is something we dread but must inevitably accept.
Goodbye Friend provides answers that are woven into a tapestry of care, compassion, and unconditional love for the pets with whom we’ve shared our hearts and homes. Then, we can become much more than our pet’s best friend — we can become healers, teachers, and angels for our friends and family when they, too, lose a
beloved pet.”
— Marty Becker, DVM, coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
"This wonderful book is the best guide I know of that can help us deal with the death of our animal companions whom the more we love the more we will grieve."
— Dr. Michael W. Fox, Veterinarian and past Vice President, Humane Society of the United States
