Anyone who has experienced a loss or anticipates such a loss is invited to attend the HSSV Companion Animal Loss Support Group. The group helps grieving pet owners heal the pain by working through their feelings of loss, anger and depression. The meetings are held at the shelter on the first Tuesday of each month from 6:30-7:30 PM. You may attend an unlimited number of meetings and are encouraged to return to help others work through their grief even after your own needs are met.

This service is provided at no fee for our community. Donations are welcomed to help provide necessary services for our animal guests here at the shelter.

Vicki Traylor is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has had a private practice in Redwood City, California for 20 years.  In that time she has worked with a wide variety of people regarding many different issues--abuse survivors, grief, infertility and adoption, eating disorders, and relationship and spiritual issues, in individual, group and family settings.  She has a practical and empathetic approach to problems, and a deep belief in the power of communication, expression and mindfulness as tools to healing.  Her focus is on helping each client find tools and supports that work for them--no one approach works for all people, and Vicki draws on several methods and techniques to move people along their path.

She has two dogs, chow-shepherd-mix brothers, who make sure she gets her quota of exercise and joy every day.

 

Meetings: First Tuesday of each month from 6:30-7:30
Location: Humane Society Silicon Valley, 2530 Lafayette St.
Santa Clara 95050
Facilitator: Vicki Traylor
Phone: 650-771-2707
Contact at shelter: Beth Ward (408) 727-3383 ext. 858
beth.ward@hssv.org

Below are some options for people seeking help with the loss of a beloved pet. If there is a support group that you know of that is not listed here, please email the information to us at comments@hssv.org so that we may add it to our list. We would like to see this listing grow!

University of California Davis Hotline: (800) 565-1526
One Shields Avenue Davis, CA
M-F 6:30pm-9:30pm

Peninsula Humane Society (650) 340-7022 x344
12 Airport Rd. San Mateo, CA
2nd Thursday of each month, 7pm in lobby

Santa Cruz SPCA (831) 465-5000
2260 7th Avenue (Admin Bldg.) Santa Cruz, CA
2nd & 4th Wednesday of each month, 7pm

San Francisco SPCA (415) 554-3050
243 Alabama St. San Francisco, CA
1st Tuesday of each month, 7:30pm