Cheri Barton Ross, M.A., C.T., is author of "Pet Loss and Children, Establishing a Healthy Foundation," (Routledge, 2005). She is also a journalist, editor, and playwright, and founder of the Redwood Empire Veterinary Medical Association Pet Loss Support Group in Santa Rosa, CA.

Jane Baron-Sorensen, R.N., MFT, has recently retired as the patient care manager for Psychiatric Emergency Services, a division of Sonoma County's Department of Health Services, in Santa Rosa, CA. She led the Redwood Empire Veterinary Medical Association Pet Loss Support Group for 15 years.