When your Animal Dies or End of Life Decisions

We know how hard it is to lose a special friend. When a person you love dies, it's natural to feel sorrow, express grief and expect friends and family to provide understanding and comfort. Unfortunately, the same doesn't always hold true if the one who dies was your companion animal. Many consider grieving inappropriate for someone who has lost "just a pet".

We understand that nothing could be further from the truth. The death of your animal friend can be one of the most difficult experiences you face and you may need a place to work through the grief process in a non-judgmental environment with others who have suffered a similar loss.

People may need to deal with the following concerns and situations:

Euthanasia
No matter how carefully the decision to euthanize a pet is made, pet owners typically spend a great amount of time wondering if they have done the right thing.

Lost and Stolen Pets
Not knowing what happened to a pet, pet owners agonize at length over missing pets. The combination of guilt and fear can sometimes seem too much to handle alone.

Other Pets
Surviving pets may whimper, refuse to eat or drink, and suffer lethargy - especially if they had a close bond with the deceased pet. The changing circumstances and your emotional state may also distress them.

Children
The loss of a pet may be a child's first experience with death. The child may blame himself, his parents or the veterinarian for not saving the pet. And he may feel guilty, depressed and frightened that others he loves may be taken from him. Trying to protect your child by saying the pet ran away could cause your child to expect the pet's return and feel betrayed after discovering the truth. Expressing your own grief may reassure your child that sadness is okay and help him work through his feelings.

Seniors
Coping with the loss of a pet can be particularly hard for seniors. Those who live alone may feel a loss of purpose and an immense emptiness. The pet's death may also trigger painful memories of other losses and remind people of their own mortality. The decision to get another pet is complicated by the possibility that the pet may outlive its owner, and hinges on the person's physical and financial ability to care for a new pet.

Future Pets
Rushing into this decision isn't fair to you or a new pet. Pet Loss Support can help you know when the time is right to adopt a new pet by making sure you have given yourself time to grieve and paying close attention to your feelings.

End of Life Decisions
If you've been caring for a senior pet whose quality of life has been diminishing before your eyes, you have our heartfelt sympathies. Just about everyone on our staff has been in your position, so we understand that it is one of the hardest experiences to go through. Your pet has given you unconditional love and companionship for so many years, and now it is time for you to provide him with understanding and compassion.