Pets can bring so much joy and happiness into our lives but unfortunately, they don’t live forever. Dealing with the grieving that accompanies the loss of a beloved pet isn’t easy. A lot of different emotions can get mixed in with the initial feelings of sadness. You might feel like there was more you could do to prevent the death of your pet. These feelings of guilt are completely normal but in the long run, they don’t provide any solace and only end up making you feel worse. These thoughts of guilt might stem from the fact that we view death very differently than our animal counterparts.

Animals don’t worry about the prospect of dying, they live in the moment. They are much better than us at accepting the certainty of death. With this being said, you shouldn’t replay painful scenarios in your head of how you could have changed things the second time around, this will only stunt the grieving process. Instead, you should remember the wonderful memories that you made with your pet and relish in the fact that this animal has enriched your life by being in it.

Grieving is not so easily done alone so don’t be afraid to talk to those around you! They might have experienced the same process you are now going through and can offer some helpful advice. There are many different resources to help you cope with the loss of a pet, you can visit your local shelter to help locate support groups in your area, or you can call Cornell University’s Pet Loss Support Hotline at 607-253-3932.

*Excerpt taken from an article written by Jean Hofve, DVM