Pet Bereavement 
No less Painful than a Human Death

Pet Bereavement is real Your beautiful dog, cat or any other pet may have died a natural death or you may have decided to peacefully end your beloved pet's life.  Whatever the cause of death or loss of a pet, many loving pet owners will be faced with the devastating feelings of loss, remorse, guilt, depression, anger. Cats or small dog breeds are particularly close to their owners, and it is not unusual to be extremely sentimental about the loss of their unconditional love and constant companionship. These are all normal and need to be dealt with in order to "move forward".

You may feel guilty, particularly if you humanely put your beloved pet "to sleep", anger at the vet who may have failed to save your animal's life or depression which is a totally natural response of grief.  Do not deny your emotions, be honest about your feelings.  You have a right to miss your precious pet.

Not all people will be sympathetic to your loss, particularly if they have never had the joy of the bond between human and animal.  Do not let others, however, dictate your feelings. You have spent many years with your pet. 

Other Pet Bereavement related articles:

• Inspirational Dog Quotes - Faithful and True
• Old Dog Quotes - Firmest Friends
• Pet Euthanasia - The Final Act of Love
• Pet Bereavement - No less Painful than a Human Death

Commonly asked questions and answers about the mourning process, help you grieve your pet in a dignified manner

Is it a perfectly normal human reaction to the death of a pet.  In fact you would not be normal if you did not have any feelings of grief. It is essential that you recognize your emotions and deal with them, so that you can fully recover and one day love another cherished pet.

A very common way to grieve the death of a pet is to plant a tree (or shrub) in their memory, write a poem, light a candle or prepare a photo history.  Do not bury your feelings but to talk about them openly with loving and caring friends and family.

Should you not have understanding or close family and friends, you would be able to consult a Pet Bereavement Support Service.  You can also consult your local vet who may be able to provide you with a Support Group in your community.

Pet Bereavement may be your child's first experience with death, so it is important that you treat this delicately.  Your child will understand if you tell them their animal has gone away, but don't let them believe that they will come back.  Also get your children to understand that the pet is no longer in pain and is happy.  This will  ensure your child is happy and is not confused about death.

Many loving pet owners, opt to have their pets cremated.  Your local pet funeral home should be able to give you the option of an individual cremation (where you get your own pets ashes back) or a bulk cremation.  Their ashes can then be buried in a corner of the garden or sprinkled on their favorite walk.

Any loving pet owner will not want to live without a pet for too long, but the time frame will vary greatly from person to person. When you are ready to make that leap, do not expect the new pet to a "replacement".  The new animal will have it's own personality and will have it's own special relationship with you.