Grieving Our Pets Death

Home
>
Pet
>
Grieving Our Pets Death

Grieving Our Pets Death

Our pets give us so much. They entertain us, listen to our secrets, and give us unconditional love. Losing a pet can leave us with a muddle of other feelings in addition to the sadness: anger, anxiety about other problems we couldn't address because we were so busy caring for our sick pet, and even guilt, especially if your pet died suddenly or of an unknown cause. We may think to ourselves, "My pet trusted me to take care of him/her. Should I have taken him/her to the vet sooner"? Or maybe we are not convinced our pet got the right medical attention. Losing a pet can also bring up pain from previous losses we have experienced.

When we lose a pet, we may encounter well-meaning people who do not understand why we are so upset about losing "just an animal." They may encourage us just to "get another one." Not everyone is bonded in the same way to their animals, and that's okay. But it's not whether our loved one was a person or an animal that determines our "right" to be upset. It's the quality of the relationship and the level of our love. It's hard to recover fully from the loss of a long, possibly many-year, relationship in just a few days or weeks.

You're not crazy to hurt so much. You have had a loss, and you deserve support. It may help to talk about it to people you feel understand and will be sympathetic. Grief is a powerful emotion and is one of the most painful we face as human beings. The good news is that if you get a chance to talk and work through some of the pain, grief is a time-limited process. Over time, the pain recedes a bit, and you can access the happy memories of the love you and your pet shared.

It may help to look at grief recovery as a process of convalescence. The dictionary definition of "convalescence" is "gradual return to health and strength after an illness." Seeing grief in this way can help us to be patient with ourselves during the process and know that, in time, we will feel better again. Crying, some trouble sleeping, or loss of appetite is normal after a loss. But if you are having physical symptoms that are of concern, please seek medical attention. If you feel you may be "stuck" in grief after a long period of time, you may benefit from professional help.

As Leo Tolstoy said, "Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving counteracts their grief and heals them."

Ann Palik is a licensed marriage and family therapist in Los Angeles, California, and is a member of the Association for Pet Loss & Bereavement, Inc. She has appeared as a pet loss consultant on the radio program "Talking Animals" on KUCI, 88.9 FM. She can be reached at (310) 840-2341, or ann@therapy-conscious.com.

In The News:

New Zealand Herald
Pet sitting gets boost from the web
Fall River Herald News
Instead of putting pets in kennels, Dog Vacay brings together dog lovers with casual and professional dog sitters to provide an affordable experience for pets. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) By Sue Manning The Associated Press When you travel and have to ...
Doggy couch surfing? Website has lodging for dogsKVAL
Website has lodging for dogsWorcester Telegram

all 38 news articles »

Neato XV-21 Pet & Allergy Automatic Vacuum Cleaner
PC Magazine
Picks up an astonishing amount of dust and pet hair. Simple to use. Easy to clean. Programmable. Doesn't work well on tight corners. Very loud. Dated design. The Neato XV-21 does an excellent job of picking up pet hair—but it's no replacement for a ...

PetProductNews.com
How to provide for pets in case of owner's death or an emergency
Fort Worth Star Telegram
And for many local pet owners, that can mean leaving their furry loved ones behind as they head out of town for a week or maybe even a month. Try as pet owners might to plan accordingly for impending time away from their pets, they might not always ...
Pet Expo Efforts Raise $12000 for Pet Care TrustPetProductNews.com

all 2 news articles »

New York Times (blog)
Thinking of Feeding Your Pet a Homemade or Raw Diet?
Patch.com
Pet food recalls can spur people to make pets' meals themselves, but doing it right is important. By Kim Campbell Thornton Henry is one of many pets available for adoption at Orange County Animal Care. Orange County Animal Care With all the recent ...
Raw Pet Food DebateAll Pet News (blog)
The Raw Food Diet for PetsNew York Times (blog)

all 3 news articles »

Five Pet Place Unveils Luxury Brand; Extensive Collection of Designer Products
Albany Times Union
Five Pet Place, a company specializing in producing attractive and functional products for cats, today revealed its extensive collection of Pet Accessories for the Home™ at fivepetplace.com -- an advanced e-commerce website where consumers can build ...

and more »

KDRV
Marlins Pitcher Mark Buehrle and Wife Jamie to Kick Off Dual Pet-Adoption ...
Sacramento Bee
By Adopt-a-Pet.com MIAMI, May 25, 2012 -- /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Miami Marlins pitcher Mark Buehrle and his wife, the noted companion-animal activist Jamie Buehrle, will launch two initiatives to help homeless pets--one local, one national--at ...
Pet of the Week: HoneyKDRV
Shelter Renovations Cause Shortage of Space for PetsBeach Bulletin
Domino and Snow Bird Need New HomesPatch.com
Aiken Standard
all 20 news articles »

Don't forget about your pets
Houma Courier
By Thad Angelloz What happens when a hurricane evacuation is ordered and you have pets? With many residents counting their pets as integral members of their family, officials say they should also be just as important in overall hurricane planning as ...
Be prepared: 10 ways to help you survive the next hurricaneDaily Comet

all 10 news articles »

Newmarket ZBA grants variance for pet crematory
Seacoastonline.com
By Melanie Gray NEWMARKET — For many, the death of a pet is like the loss of a family member. "It's emotionally hard for all people," said William Morgan, owner of Angel View Pet Cemetery and Crematory in Middleboro, Mass. "Sometimes it just pulls ...

and more »

OregonLive.com
Happening this weekend: Pet-related events you can attend
OregonLive.com
Pets Uncorked: Visit participating Oregon wineries and contribute to a new animal shelter in Newberg. At Duck Pond Cellars, Terra Vina Tasting Room, Terra Vina Willsonville Vineyard and other participating vineyards, 10 percent of the tasting fee will ...

OregonLive.com
When it comes to courage and spirit, tripod pets have a leg up
OregonLive.com
A generation ago, three-legged pets might not have, er, stood a chance in the veterinarian's office. An animal that was hit by a car, born with a birth defect or suffered from cancer might have been more likely to receive a humane euthanasia rather ...

Google News