Emotion: Loving Animals and Losing Them; It's OK to Truly Love an Animal “For those of us who choose to share our lives with pets, at one time or another we will undoubtedly become emotionally attached to them. Even for people who share their lives with many animals, every so often an extra special one comes along. When we must face the loss of an extraordinary animal companion, we may be shocked to find ourselves experiencing intense grief.”
More: http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/petloss/F-Emotion.html

The Stages of Grieving Grief is a process of physical, emotional, social and cognitive reactions to loss. The grieving process is hard to work through! One needs to be patient with themselves or others experiencing loss. Studies have found that people often go through stages or phases of grief.
More: http://web.vet.cornell.edu/public/petloss/ekr.htm

Ten Tips on Coping with Pet Loss Anyone who considers a pet a beloved friend, companion, or family member knows the intense pain that accompanies the loss of that friend. Following are some tips on coping with that grief, and with the difficult decisions one faces upon the loss of a pet.
More: http://www.furryfriends.org/newsletter/SP2003/july2003.pdf <-- Click to download a printer-ready "Ten Tips" flyer in PDF format.

The Normal Grieving Process People are often surprised and concerned at how their grief impacts them. Since there is not much grief training in our culture, we are not familiar with what to expect to feel after experiencing a major loss. It is important to understand that grieving is a holistic and pervasive experience that impacts a person physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Don’t be afraid of your grief symptoms.
More: http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/plhl/grivingprocess.asp

Children and Pet Loss "The experience of childhood pet loss rarely gets the attention it deserves. Many children are actively involved in their pets' daily care. It is only fair to give them the option of also being involved in the circumstances surrounding their pets' death. By protecting children from experiences with death, adults deny them the opportunity to learn how to master feelings of loss.”
More: http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu/CARE/family.html

Explaining Pet Loss to Children: Six Do’s and Don’ts Death and dying are two of the hardest facts of life to explain to children. Very often, the death of a family pet is a child’s first encounter with this immutable law of nature. How we handle this event can have a far-reaching impact on our children’s understanding of death and dying. Eleven-year-old Maria, for instance, was used to greeting her cat Feifel every day after school. One day, he didn’t appear.
More: http://www.petplace.com/articles/artPrinterFriendly.asp?conID=20923

Euthanasia of a Beloved Pet Euthanasia is one of the most difficult decisions anyone can ever make for a pet who is a beloved companion. Although the decision is demanded by humanitarian obligation, it is always traumatic for the person who must finally make it. It is perhaps the ultimate heartbreak we must be willing to endure for our adored companion animal. Aside from being the right thing to do, euthanasia can be a psychological nightmare of confusion, guilt and final responsibility…
More: http://www.aplb.org/services/euthanasia.shtml

Making The Difficult Decision “How can we make that difficult decision to end the life of a pet whom we have loved and nurtured, played with and lived with? The pet may have been with us for a short time or for many years. It may protect us, serve us, or just be there when we need something to cuddle. Our domestic pets have maintained many of their wild instincts. One of the most important instincts, however, is to mask pain and illness.”
More: http://www.cathelp-online.com/bydavet.html

Making the Decision

  • Saying Goodbye to Your Friend

  • How Can I Make the Decision?

  • How Will I Know When It's Time?

  • What if the Animal is Healthy?

Source: http://www.avma.org/careforanimals/animatedjourneys/goodbyefriend/2#2

The Next Step

  • How Do I Tell My Family?

  • Will it be Painless?

  • How Can I Say Goodbye?

  • How Can I Face the Loss?

  • They May Not Understand

  • I Cannot Forget

  • Should I Get Another Pet?

  • Remembering Your Pet

Source: http://www.avma.org/careforanimals/animatedjourneys/goodbyefriend/nextstep.asp

Supporting People who are Grieving

  • Listen in a non-judgmental manner.

  • Let them "tell their story" as many times as they need to.

  • Share with them your wonderful memories…

More: http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/plhl/support.asp

Do Dogs Mourn? When one dog dies, owners will often notice some changes in the pets that are left behind. They may become aloof or lethargic. Some may stop eating or become clingy. Based on these outward signs, it appears that dogs do grieve when their canine companion dies. Because our pets cannot speak, we don't really know what is going through their minds or what they are thinking. We must base our interpretations of their emotional state on their behavior – what they do in certain situations and under specific circumstances.
More: http://www.petplace.com/articles/artPrinterFriendly.asp?conID=21866

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