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Mourning The Death of a Pet (seriously)

Three postings on Facebook recently by friends devastated by the loss (death) of their pet dog, cat and rabbit respectively, and the outpouring of grief and sense of lost (akin to how I am now feeling after the death of my mother and brother recently) caught me by surprise.

My initial reaction was, "But they are just pets (animals)", was quickly silenced by the realisation that the pain and sadness felt by my friends were very real and revealed something deep about human-animal bonding and the role as well as effect pets have on us.

A quick check on Google reveal a world of sites specifically dealing with pet loss and the grieving process. This whole pet death and grieving process is real and evidently a serious matter!

So to my friends who lost their pets and others grieving a similar lost, maybe these sites and the information offered will help you mourn well and recover:

Most of us share an intense love and bond with our animal companions, so it’s natural to feel devastated by feelings of grief and sadness when a cherished pet dies. The pain of loss can often feel overwhelming and trigger all sorts of painful and difficult emotions. 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. Read more here.

Why is the lost so painful? When we are grieving the loss of a beloved pet, we are actually mourning several losses at the same time. Read more here.

How could the death of a canine possibly hurt as much as that of a family member? As the sadness lingers, part of my grieving process has been to try to understand the differences. Read the rest of this touching article here.

To all my grieving friends, may your come to experience comfort and find peace and maybe one day, another special pet. Peace!

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