When your furry friend is gone …

This is where you go when your loved one no longer can lick the tears off your face. When the friend who waited for you every day after work is gone, no longer begging for a belly rub.

This is the office of Pamela Spear, a certified grief counselor who specifically - and only - caters to mourning pet owners.

Grab a tissue and take a seat on the couch.

Ms. Spear, who opened her office in Crofton last year, is one of the few but growing number of counselors who are helping people overcome the loss of a pet. The grieving, she says, is just as intense, real and painful as losing a human friend.

"In all honesty,...