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Compassion in Your Time of Mourning

pet loss

Given the intense bond most of us share with our animals, it’s natural to feel devastated by feelings of grief and sadness when a pet dies. While some people may not understand the depth of feeling you had for your pet, you should never feel guilty or ashamed about grieving for an animal friend.

Instead, use these healthy ways to cope with the loss, comfort yourself and others, and begin the process of healing. For pet parents, a pet is not “just a dog” or “just a cat.” Pets are beloved members of the family, when one dies you feel a significant, even traumatic, loss.

Everyone Grieves Differently

Grieving is a personal and highly individual experience. Some people find grief comes in stages. They may experience different feelings such as:

Others find that grief is more cyclical, coming in waves, or a series of highs and lows. The lows are likely to be deeper and longer at the beginning and then gradually become shorter and less intense as time goes by.

Things to Remember

Tips for Healing the Pain of Pet Loss

Sorrow and grief are normal and natural responses to death. Like grief for humans, grief for animal companions can only be dealt with over time, but there are healthy ways to cope with the pain.

Feel free to visit our pet loss and grief library, our pet memorial wall, and our end-of-life care pages for comfort, companionship, and care.

Pet Loss

Dr. Hempel is amazing! Very compassionate and very kind.
— Danielle B