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Coping with Pet Loss
Pet loss is a devastating life event that will take time to work through. Your pet was a
member of your family so feelings of intense grief are normal and natural. Try to
surround yourself with people that understand your loss. Don’t let people that are not
pet lovers minimize you loss. Give yourself permission to grieve.
There is no right way to grieve everyone will have a different experience. Some of the
feeling you may have are:
1. Guilt you may blame yourself or others for the death of your pet. Don’t drive
yourself crazy with “If only I had…” you did nothing to cause the death of your pet. Try
to understand your feelings so you don’t cause additional pain for yourself.
2. Denial you may have a hard time accepting what has happened. You may feel
completely lost and stunned. This is a normal reaction called shock. It is temporary but
it helps us through the first few weeks.
3. Anger we lash out at people around us. Our anger may be directed at the
veterinarian, the illness or whatever might have caused the death of your pet.
4. Depression can also be a consequence of grief. You may feel hopeless and have
a hard time functioning.
5. Acceptance and healing may come if we are honest about our feelings and pain.
We can begin to move on. We have great memories about our pet. You may even
think about getting a new pet.
It’s OK to feel pain and grief. An important member of your family has just died. Don’t
hide or deny your feelings. Cry, morn and talk to people that can be supportive. Do
whatever it takes to work through the pain. Reminisce about your pet and the great
times you spent together. This can help you to understand what your pet’s loss
means to you.
If you don’t have someone to talk to or need more help your veterinarian or the local
humane association can recommend a pet counselor or a support group. If you’re
suffering from depression or just having a very hard time you may need to seek help
from a psychologist.
Pet loss is a very devastating life event. Your grief, your pain and you deserve all the
support necessary to work through your pet loss.
Pet loss is a devastating life event that will take time to work through. Your pet was a
member of your family so feelings of intense grief are normal and natural. Try to
surround yourself with people that understand your loss. Don’t let people that are not
pet lovers minimize you loss. Give yourself permission to grieve.
There is no right way to grieve everyone will have a different experience. Some of the
feeling you may have are:
1. Guilt you may blame yourself or others for the death of your pet. Don’t drive
yourself crazy with “If only I had…” you did nothing to cause the death of your pet. Try
to understand your feelings so you don’t cause additional pain for yourself.
2. Denial you may have a hard time accepting what has happened. You may feel
completely lost and stunned. This is a normal reaction called shock. It is temporary but
it helps us through the first few weeks.
3. Anger we lash out at people around us. Our anger may be directed at the
veterinarian, the illness or whatever might have caused the death of your pet.
4. Depression can also be a consequence of grief. You may feel hopeless and have
a hard time functioning.
5. Acceptance and healing may come if we are honest about our feelings and pain.
We can begin to move on. We have great memories about our pet. You may even
think about getting a new pet.
It’s OK to feel pain and grief. An important member of your family has just died. Don’t
hide or deny your feelings. Cry, morn and talk to people that can be supportive. Do
whatever it takes to work through the pain. Reminisce about your pet and the great
times you spent together. This can help you to understand what your pet’s loss
means to you.
If you don’t have someone to talk to or need more help your veterinarian or the local
humane association can recommend a pet counselor or a support group. If you’re
suffering from depression or just having a very hard time you may need to seek help
from a psychologist.
Pet loss is a very devastating life event. Your grief, your pain and you deserve all the
support necessary to work through your pet loss.
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