Pet Loss Grief Counselling Melbourne

Pet loss grief counselling in Melbourne is available through several free and paid services, including phone support lines, online groups, and one-on-one sessions with specialist counsellors. This guide covers what each option offers, who it suits, and how to access it from anywhere in Victoria.

Grieving a pet is a real and often misunderstood loss. Psychologists refer to it as disenfranchised grief, a term that describes grief society does not always officially recognise. That does not make it less painful. Research published in Society and Animals found that the loss of a pet can produce grief responses comparable in intensity to losing a human family member. Many people go through this alone because they do not know where to turn.

This guide lists every verified Melbourne-based option as of April 2026, separated by cost, format, and access method.

Free pet loss grief counselling in Melbourne

Several services in Victoria offer free support for people grieving a pet. Most do not require a referral, and two are available by phone from anywhere in the state.

1. Lort Smith Animal Hospital: free phone support

Lort Smith offers free, confidential phone calls for people who have lost a pet. Sessions run every Wednesday between 1:30 pm and 4:00 pm. The service is currently available to Lort Smith clients. You can find details at lortsmith.com/pet-grief-support.

This is one of the few Melbourne services with a dedicated pet loss focus rather than general bereavement. If you have used Lort Smith for your pet’s care, this is a practical first step.

2. GriefLine: free telephone counselling

GriefLine is a national telephone counselling service staffed by trained volunteers. It accepts calls about any form of grief, including the loss of a pet. The line is accessible from Melbourne and operates across all Victorian regions.

GriefLine is listed by Australian pet loss support directories as a general grief service that accepts pet-related calls. Contact details are available through griefline.org.au.

3. Forever In My Heart: free online support group

Forever In My Heart runs a free online support group for people grieving a pet. It is a community space rather than a one-on-one counselling session, which suits people who want to share their experience with others going through the same thing. Accessible from Melbourne at foreverinmyheartpetlosscounselling.com.au/pet-loss-support-group.

4. Pets and People: free written resources and service directory

Pets and People maintains a directory of Australian grief services alongside free articles and written resources on pet loss. It does not offer direct one-on-one support, but it is a useful starting point if you are unsure which type of service suits you. See petsandpeople.com.au/pet-loss-counsellors.

Paid pet loss grief counselling in Melbourne

Paid counselling offers more structured, ongoing support. All of the services below are run by qualified practitioners and are available to Melburnians, either in person or online.

1. Pets and People counsellor directory

Pets and People maintains a directory of Australian counsellors who specialise in pet loss. Sessions are available by phone, video call, or in person depending on the practitioner. Fees vary by counsellor. Directory at petsandpeople.com.au/pet-loss-counsellors.

2. Forever In My Heart: one-on-one counselling with Renee Magri

Renee Magri is a pet loss grief counsellor based online and accessible from Melbourne. She works with people facing decisions about euthanasia, grief after a pet has died, ambiguous loss (such as a lost, stolen, or rehomed pet), and children’s grief when a family pet passes. All sessions are conducted online. Details at foreverinmyheartpetlosscounselling.com.au.

3. Patch and Purr: vetted Melbourne counsellor referrals

Patch and Purr connects Melbourne pet owners with counsellors who have specific training in pet loss and grief. Sessions are available in person or online. The referral list is curated, so you are not searching through a general therapist directory. See patchandpurr.com.au/pages/pet-loss-counsellors.

4. Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement

The Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement offers specialist bereavement counselling for Victorians. The centre uses the term disenfranchised grief to describe losses, including pet loss, that are not always socially acknowledged. Some services may be low-cost or subsidised. The centre is Melbourne-based and primarily serves Victorian residents. Information available through the Pets and People partner listing at petsandpeople.com.au.

How to choose the right type of support

The right service depends on what you need right now.

Phone or online only: GriefLine and Forever In My Heart’s online group are accessible from anywhere in Victoria with no travel required. Useful if you are not ready to speak to someone in person.

Immediate, free support: GriefLine and the Lort Smith Wednesday calls are the fastest access points if cost is a barrier. Neither requires a referral or appointment for initial contact.

Structured, ongoing sessions: If you want regular one-on-one support over several weeks, the paid counsellors through Pets and People, Forever In My Heart, or Patch and Purr offer this. These sessions are structured and can include grief-specific frameworks such as the Dual Process Model, which helps people move between loss-focused and restoration-focused coping.

Children grieving a pet: Renee Magri at Forever In My Heart specifically lists this as a specialty. If a child in the family is struggling after a pet’s death, this is the most targeted option in the Melbourne area.

Euthanasia decisions: Several counsellors on the Pets and People directory and Renee Magri offer support around anticipatory grief and euthanasia decisions, not just grief after a loss has occurred.

Why pet grief is often harder than people expect

Most people are not prepared for how long pet loss grief lasts or how intense it can be. Part of the reason is that grief for a pet rarely gets the same social support as grief for a person. There is no bereavement leave. There is no formal funeral. People around you may not understand why you are still struggling weeks later.

A study published in Society and Animals found that grief responses following the death of a pet can be as intense as those following the death of a human family member, and in some cases more so, because pets are present in daily life in ways that people often are not. The Australian Psychological Society recognises pet loss as a legitimate bereavement and notes that the absence of social rituals, such as funerals or bereavement leave, can make the grief harder to process, not easier.

Disenfranchised grief, a term developed by Dr Kenneth Doka, describes grief that occurs when a loss is not openly acknowledged or publicly mourned. Pet loss fits this category for many Australians, particularly in workplaces and among people who do not have pets themselves.

Understanding this does not make it easier, but it does explain why professional support specifically designed for pet loss can be more useful than general grief counselling.

What to expect from a pet loss counselling session

If you have not spoken to a grief counsellor before, it helps to know what a session typically involves.

Most pet loss counsellors work by asking you to describe your relationship with your pet, how long you had them, and what the circumstances of the loss were. They do not rush this. The point is to help you feel heard first, not to move quickly to coping strategies.

Sessions generally cover practical things you can do to process the loss, such as creating a memorial, establishing a routine after the disruption a pet’s death causes, and managing grief that surfaces at unexpected times like mealtimes or walks.

Some counsellors use frameworks like the Dual Process Model of Grief (Stroebe and Schut, 1999), which describes healthy grieving as moving between attending to the loss and attending to life restoration. This is different from older stage-based models and tends to be more consistent with how most people actually experience grief.

Sessions are typically 50 minutes. Most people find three to six sessions useful, though this varies considerably depending on the length and nature of the relationship with the pet and the circumstances of the loss.

Victoria pet burial and memorial laws: what changed in October 2025

Victoria updated its pet burial laws in October 2025. Under the amended Cemeteries and Crematoria Act, owners can now be buried alongside their pets in approved cemetery grounds. This change recognised the bond between people and their animal companions at a legislative level.

Separately, pet cremation remains common and unregulated in terms of what you do with the ashes at home. If you wish to use your pet’s ashes in a living memorial, that is also permitted. Mornington Green incorporates pet ashes into trees and flowers within a dedicated pet garden section, using the same ash treatment process as its human memorial trees.

You can read more about the October 2025 law change in the Mornington Green article: morningtongreen.com.au/blog/victoria-pet-owner-burial-law/.

Supporting children through the loss of a pet

Children often experience the death of a pet as their first direct encounter with death. How adults respond to that loss shapes how the child processes it.

The Australian Psychological Society recommends being honest with children about what happened rather than using euphemisms like ‘went to sleep’ or ‘went away.’ These phrases can cause confusion and sometimes fear. Using clear language, ‘she died,’ and allowing children to ask questions gives them a framework they can work with.

If a child’s grief is prolonged or affecting their daily life, school, sleep, or appetite for more than a few weeks, speaking to a professional who works with children’s grief is worth considering. Renee Magri at Forever In My Heart lists children’s grief as a specific specialty.

Some children find it helpful to be involved in a small ceremony or memorial. This does not need to be elaborate. Planting a plant in the garden, writing a letter, or choosing a photograph to frame can give children a sense of having honoured their pet in a real way.

When grief becomes something more serious

Grief after losing a pet is normal, including grief that lasts for months. Most people find that while the intensity fades over time, moments of sadness return for years, particularly around anniversaries or when they see something that reminds them of their pet.

There are some signs that what you are experiencing may be more than typical grief, and that professional support is worth seeking sooner rather than later.

Beyond Blue Australia describes complicated grief as grief that significantly interferes with daily functioning for more than six months. Signs include an inability to accept the loss, intense longing that does not ease over time, difficulty engaging with other parts of life, and feelings of hopelessness about the future. If you recognise these, speaking to a GP or psychologist is the appropriate first step, in addition to or instead of a pet loss specialist.

GriefLine’s telephone service handles both ordinary and complicated grief and can help you assess whether a referral to a GP makes sense.

A note on online resources and pet loss forums

Several online communities exist for pet loss, including groups on Facebook and Reddit’s r/Petloss forum. These can be useful for peer connection, particularly outside business hours when professional services are unavailable.

They are not a substitute for professional support, and the quality of advice in unmoderated forums varies considerably. The Forever In My Heart support group is a moderated alternative if you want online peer community with more structure.

If you are reading through these forums and finding that your grief is getting more intense rather than less, that is a signal to seek professional support rather than continuing to engage with forum content.

Frequently asked questions

Is pet loss grief counselling available for free in Melbourne?

Yes. GriefLine and the Lort Smith Wednesday phone support both offer free counselling for pet loss. The Forever In My Heart online support group is also free. None of these require a referral.

How long does pet grief last?

There is no fixed timeline. Most people find the intensity of grief reduces over several weeks to months, but moments of sadness can return for years. If grief is significantly affecting your daily function after six months, this is worth discussing with a GP or grief counsellor.

Is pet loss grief taken seriously by counsellors?

Yes. Qualified grief counsellors understand that pet loss is a legitimate bereavement. The term disenfranchised grief exists specifically to describe losses, like pet loss, that are not always socially acknowledged. Specialist services like those listed in this guide are built around this understanding.

Can I get Medicare rebates for pet loss counselling?

Medicare does not cover pet-loss-specific counselling as a distinct category. However, if your GP believes the grief is affecting your mental health, you may be eligible for a Mental Health Care Plan, which provides rebates for sessions with a registered psychologist. Speak to your GP.

What if I am not ready to speak to someone but want support?

The Forever In My Heart online support group and the Pets and People resource directory are low-pressure starting points. You can read other people’s experiences and access written information without needing to talk to anyone.

Can I get support for anticipatory grief before my pet dies?

Yes. Several of the paid counsellors listed, including Renee Magri at Forever In My Heart, specifically work with people who are facing a pet’s end of life before the death occurs. This includes support around euthanasia decisions.

Is there a permanent memorial option for pets in Melbourne?

Mornington Green in Somerville, 50 minutes from Melbourne’s CBD, offers a dedicated pet garden where ashes are incorporated into trees and flowers using a patented ash treatment process. The garden is maintained in perpetuity. Pet memorial options start from $605. More information at morningtongreen.com.au.

A permanent memorial alongside grief support: Mornington Green

Grief counselling and a permanent memorial serve different needs, but many families find that having both helps. Counselling addresses the emotional work. A memorial gives you a place to go.

Mornington Green is a living legacy memorial garden in Somerville, on the Mornington Peninsula, 50 minutes from Melbourne’s CBD. It is part of the Mornington Peninsula Cemeteries and operates under the governance of the Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust. The garden has a dedicated pet memorial area where cremated ashes are incorporated into trees and flowers using a patented ash treatment process.

Most families who come to Mornington Green for a pet memorial have been keeping the ashes at home without a clear plan for them. The pet garden gives those ashes a permanent resting place in a protected outdoor environment they can visit at any time.

What the pet memorial includes

Pet garden tree or flowers: Your pet’s ashes are treated and incorporated into a tree or flowering plant in the dedicated pet garden area. The ash treatment process neutralises the chemistry that would otherwise harm plant roots, so the tree or flowers actually grow from the ashes rather than being harmed by them. Pet memorial options start from $605.

Wooden memorial plaque: Included with the pet garden memorial. Name, dates, and a short inscription.

Perpetual care: By securely reserving 20% of all sales in an independently managed ongoing care and maintenance fund, Mornington Green guarantees the perpetual financial resources needed to maintain and protect your legacy tree for generations. There are no ongoing fees and no plot expiry.

A place to visit: The garden is open to visitors. Many families come regularly, particularly in the first year after a pet’s death. Having a fixed point to visit can be part of how grief is processed over time.

Human and pet memorials together

If you are also thinking about your own memorial or that of a family member, Mornington Green offers Living Legacy Trees where human ashes are incorporated into established trees up to 5 metres tall across 26 species. Multiple ashes can go into the same tree over time, which is how some families create a shared memorial for pets and people together.

Victoria’s October 2025 law change also now permits pets and owners to be buried together in approved cemetery grounds. Mornington Green can speak with you about what this means in practice. Read more at morningtongreen.com.au/blog/victoria-pet-owner-burial-law/.