The death of a pet is a trying time for any pet owner. Grief is a natural reaction to the loss of a beloved pet.
Grieving the Loss of Your Pet
When a pet owner loses a beloved pet, the grieving process is no different than grieving the loss of a family member, friend or other loved one. However, whereas a person who has lost a spouse, a sibling, or a child, would be expected and even encouraged to show signs of their grief, pet owners are oftentimes even discouraged from grieving for their pet.
Particularly for those that do not own pets, it may be difficult to understand the feelings that a grieving pet owner experiences. In many cases, the advice to a grieving pet owner is to “get over it.” Well-meaning but insensitive friends may say things that trivialize the loss, such as “He was only a dog” or “You can always get another pet.” In many cases, this advice is not only incorrect, it is actually hurtful to the grieving pet owner.
One of the most important things that you, as a grieving pet owner, can do for yourself is to give yourself permission to grieve for your pet. Without grief, you cannot heal and move on. To deny your grief is an unhealthy reaction, both physically and mentally.
How to Handle the Death of a Pet
Everyone grieves in a different way and heals at their own pace. The important thing is that you allow yourself to move through the various stages of grief.
In order to do this, you may need to disregard or ignore the advice of well-meaning but misguided friends and family. It may be helpful to seek out the company of those that have lost their own pets and are better able to understand the feelings and emotions that you are experiencing. A pet loss helpline or support group may be worth considering.
Besides feeling grief, a pet owner who has recently lost a pet may also be plagued by feelings of guilt. This is particularly true if you had to make a decision to euthanize your pet. In such situations, it is normal to have feelings of doubt or regret, even if you know that you made the most humane decision for your pet.
Gael J Ross, author of A 30 Day Guide to Healing from the Loss of Your Pet, discusses the various stages of grief and offers advice to those grieving for their lost pet in this interview. Please feel free to listen.
The grieving process is variable and it may take longer for some people to heal than for others. Healing cannot be rushed and denying yourself the opportunity to grieve for your beloved pet will only result in prolonged grief and a delay in healing.
Photo courtesy of WJ (Bill) Harrison/Flickr.com
