Grief - Losing A Pet

Posted: 25-06-2012

Not a nice blog post really, but something which is really important to talk about for those of you who are going through it. Losing a pet is always horrible and it's by far the worst thing about being a pet owner. Losing a dog is sometimes the most painful of all because they literally become our best friends, our family. Some people say that they are the only true love that money can buy.

For those of you who have recently lost a dog, or who might be facing it in the near future, there’s no need to feel ashamed about how you feel. I’ve cried many tears after losing much-loved pets and I think that it’s a lovely sign of how much you cared for them, and is something that many animals are never lucky enough to have.

There are excellent charities that help owners dealing with the grief of losing their pets, which can really help. One good one is the Blue Cross Pet Bereavement Support Service, which offers confidential support and advice, and is free to call from a landline. Here's a bit more info on this particular service.  http://www.bluecross.org.uk/1742/Pet-loss.html

So, grief is perfectly normal and you shouldn’t feel ashamed of it, and we all deal with it in different ways; some people rush out to get the next puppy, while others can’t even begin to imagine thinking about owning another dog. In time though, it’s likely that you will want to get another dog (around three quarters of us do). This doesn't mean the new addition will replace the one you’ve lost, it's simply that dogs are so wonderful, once you've lost one your house feels too empty and quiet.

They leave such an impression on you that you can never forget them, which is a lovely legacy to have, I think. This nice quote I found sums it all up nicely:

 "A good dog never dies, he always stays, he walks beside you on crisp autumn days when frost is on the fields and winter's drawing near, his head within our hand in his old way."

Swindon Dog Trainer and Dog Walker