About Summer
I built this place because I needed it and it didn’t exist.
The Loss
A few months ago I said goodbye to my dog after a long illness.
I knew it was coming. We had time to prepare, time to say the things we needed to say, time to just sit together quietly and be grateful for every extra day. And still, when it happened, nothing could have prepared me for the silence that followed.
The house felt wrong. My routines felt wrong. I kept reaching for him without thinking — looking toward his spot on the floor, listening for the sound of his nails on the hardwood. Grief has a way of catching you off guard like that, even when the loss wasn’t a surprise.
What Was Missing
In those early weeks I went looking for help. I wanted practical things — something to do with all the love I had nowhere to put anymore. Something that would help me honor him, remember him, process what I was feeling in a way that felt meaningful.
What I found was a lot of general grief advice that didn’t quite fit. Articles about the five stages. Well meaning friends who said things like “at least he lived a good long life” and “you’ll know when you’re ready for another one.”
I wasn’t looking for another one. I was looking for a way to carry this one forward.
I couldn’t find the tools I needed. So eventually I started creating them.
What This Place Is
Life After Pet Loss exists because pet grief is real grief. It deserves real support, real tools and a real community of people who get it without you having to explain yourself.
Everything here was created with one person in mind — someone like me, a few months ago, sitting in a quiet house wondering how to move forward without leaving their dog behind.
You don’t have to leave them behind. That’s the thing I wish someone had told me sooner.
You carry them with you. And there are gentle ways to do that.
An Invitation
Whether you just said goodbye or you’ve been carrying this for a while, you are welcome here. Take whatever time you need. Look around. And if something here feels like exactly what you’ve been looking for, I’m so glad you found your way.
With love, Summer
Founder, Life After Pet Loss — and a dog mom who understands.