Book helps children cope with death of pet

An upcoming book designed to help children with pet loss and grief will feature at least one essay — and maybe more — from Murray's Longview Elementary students, a Utah County veterinarian said.

Veterinarian and certified pet loss grief counselor Alan Blain Cunningham received accounts of the children's pets, real and imaginary, living and dead, after speaking at the school last spring.

"They lose a pet, and often, it's their first exposure to death. A lot of times, they grow up with an animal companion, and it was their first best friend," the American Fork veterinarian said. "They pretty much have to get through it on their own."

Cunningham, veterinary winner of Best of State Utah 2004, is a certified pet loss grief counselor. He authored "Fragile Tears: Stories and Guidance for Youth on the Passing Away of Beloved Animal Companions," which he mailed to Utah elementary schools.

Cunningham was invited to speak at Longview this past spring. He talked about his own losses and recommended children talk to their parents about a pet's death and know that it's OK to grieve.

Afterward, he says he received perhaps 200 pet yarns from Longview's fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders.

"He said some things to the kids that gave them permission to express how they felt . . . (that) it's all right to be sad and all right to miss them," Longview principal Betsy Hunt said. "It inspired them."

Cunningham wants to publish all the essays in a new book he's working on; Hunt is helping him go about getting parents' permission.

He already has the blessing of Mitch and Plechette McMillan. Their sixth-grade son, Mason, wrote a poem about his aging cat, Hopper:

"With all my heart, I love him so. My heart beats fast; his heart beats slow.

But still I love him, I love him so."

Cunningham was so touched by the boy's honesty he asked to publish the poem and composed a song about it featuring Mason reading his work. The song will be included on a CD accompanying the new book, Cunningham said.

"I'm really excited, because I never thought it would be published," Mason McMillan said of his poem. "I actually never thought about having a poetry career. I always wanted to be a politician or sing . . . or be a tornado chaser."

Cunningham says he has authored five books, beginning with "Sleeping With Angels," penned following the loss of his Boston terrier, Pug. He also has a pet loss support group and hotline; visit www.petangelsutah.com for more information.

The upcoming book, "Good-bye, My Good Friend," will be self-published, Cunningham said.

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E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com