Grief Support
Because of our capacity to love our animals, we are able to grieve for them. Often times the pain of losing a pet is as intense as losing any other family member.
Some things to consider when grieving:
- Emotional pain can actually cause physical pain. Remember to take care of yourself by getting adequate rest and nutrition.
- Surround yourself by other people and animals that care about you.
- Do what feels right. If you feel like crying cry, if you feel like laughing laugh. Don't let others tell you how to feel.
- Expect and anticipate special days (i.e. holidays, your pet's birthday) and make plans accordingly.
- Children tend to grieve differently depending on age when a loss of a pet occurs. Sometimes this may be the first loss they have experienced. They may talk about the loss several times because they really don't understand death. They need to be encouraged to ask questions and surrounded by loving family and friends.
- Pets also grieve when they lose a companion. They sense something is just not right. Try to keep their routines as normal as possible and give them lots of love and attention to reassure them that everything will be ok.
- Most of all, be patient with yourself -- grief takes time and everyone grieves differently. With proper healing, eventually you will be able to let go of the pain and only the wonderful memories you have of your pet will remain.
For additional support, you may like to visit these websites:
http://www.rainbowbridge.com/
http://www.petloss.com/
http://www.aplb.org/