Healing after a pet's death

Feb 11, 2013 12:35 PM by Colleen Crane, MSW, LCSW

Posted in Pets & Animals / Dogs

Help
In grieving
for a pet

We picked Annie out when my daughter was about a year old. We knew she was the dog for us when we walked by her cage at our local animal shelter and Annie nuzzled her face against the gate, asking for love. We had never considered getting an older dog, but, once we witnessed the loving exchange between my daughter and Annie, we knew we had to take her home. We had Annie for about three years, and then had to make the choice to let her go.

Losing an animal can be really tough! Animals are like the best of friends who will sit, listen and bring great comfort and joy. Because of their endearing nature, losing them is like losing a family member. It hurts. And grief can seem insurmountable. But you really can start healing. We'll show you how to get through the grieving process.

Recognize your pet as a member of your family

Take time to grieve and don’t feel bad about it. Some people might think, “Oh, it’s just a dog or cat, not anyone important.” Pets provide lots of emotional support. Honor your pet’s life by giving yourself the space to grieve. If you need to take a day off of work or do something special for yourself, don’t hesitate.

Create a memory box

Gather pictures, videos or other memories and spend time decorating a box in memory of your pet. If you are crafty, you can also create a memory picture frame by taking your pet’s tags and a special picture and hanging it on your wall. For some, having your pet cremated and being able to spread the ashes is also as comforting as creating a memory box.

Start again

When you are ready, consider adopting another pet at your local animal shelter. There are so many animals waiting to be loved and taken care of in a good home. Getting a new pet doesn’t mean that you are replacing one — it just means you're sharing the love that was created with the pet you lost. Your new pet needs your love, too.

More on pet care

How to help your dog grieve
Common signs of cancer in pets
Pet safety in your car

Tags: grief healing mental health pet lover

Comments

Comments on "Healing after a pet's death"

I just lost my nine month old pup to parvo. He died in March. He only had stage one parvo but the vet was very insensitive to our situation. He said that we either pay 2,500 to heal him or we put him to sleep. Not knowing that stage one parvo is curable with home remedies, I was pressured to put him to sleep. It was the most horrible experience I've ever had to go thru. If id've known about the home remedies before hand, I could've brought him home and he'd still be here today. Now I have to live with this for the rest of my life, I've cried every day since that happened, I don't know if I'll be able to cope. I feel like I have failed at my job as a caregiver. It was my job to protect him and I failed misserably. How can I move on?

My best friend, a Maine Coon mix died suddenly April 23, 2013. I did everything I could to save him but was let down by my veternarian who does not return or respond to emergency calls after 6:00 p.m. I failed my pet by not knowing my vets' selfish policies regarding emergencies and I'd only had the little angel for 5 months. You would think the staff would have returned calls or pointed me in the right of another compassionate vet, that did not happen here in Douglasville, Ga. I've never had a pet before nor watched one die in front of me and it will haunt me for the rest of my life.

i raised my sapphire from a new baby , feeding her my self ,i had her 17 wonderful years i lost her to cancer 6 monthes ago , ill grieve for her forever!!!

Jim-It doesn't sound crazy. My heart goes out to you and I am so sorry for your loss.

I gave my Mom a new kitten for christmas but she died a month later---I had Chipper for 17 years after she died and 6 months ago he go over the fence and died in a neighbors shed--I tried to kill myself I was so upset--I had a girl cat two years or so younger than Chipper to keep him company when I was no home---They used to groom each other--I also gave her some pills so she and I could both be with Chipper--I know this sounds crazy but I have no living relatives and I loved that cat more than anything---I'm still not over him but am trying.

For myself it was important to take my time getting through the grieving before I even thought about getting a new pet. Just a tid bit that helped me.