Dealing with pet loss

A good friend of mine recently had to put down her doggie, due to an illness. She was crying for days. I had advised to get another doggie, she said she was not ready yet. Just a couple of days ago, she felt she could do that, especially since the other dog was missing her companion. They've got a cute new puppy now.

Every pet owner deals with the grief of pet loss differently. What do you do? Do you open your home and heart to a new pet, or do you need some time as well?

After we lost our oldest, we ended up getting our "Goofy Newfie". What bit of grief we were dealing with at the time was immediatly taken to the back seat. Our new aloof family member has taken a lot of time and energy to raise. There are still times we both miss our little man greatly though. He was an 8# Peke and just the sweetest dispostion one could have in an animal.

I think that grief is different for pet owners, I know it hit my husband very hard, as our little guy was the first dog he had allowed to get close to him since his childhood (he had always told me he didn't like dogs). I think too it takes just as much time and grieving to get over the lose of a dear pet as it does a family member.

To many our pets are our family. Whether you have kids and your pet is your child or if it is a family pet, you still miss them when they are gone. You think about all the cute things they did and how much you loved them. Memories are wonderful and a comfort to hold onto. But, yes getting a new pet can be a distraction and help heal the hurt.

Some pet owners think that if they get a new pet, they are "betraying" the one they have lost, as if he was something "replaceable." I do not think it is replacing though, and we certainly do keep the lost pet in our hearts. I take comfort in the fact that my pet has been happy in our home, and now I will make another pet happy by opening my home to them.

RustyK wrote:

A good friend of mine recently had to put down her doggie, due to an illness. She was crying for days. I had advised to get another doggie, she said she was not ready yet. Just a couple of days ago, she felt she could do that, especially since the other dog was missing her companion. They've got a cute new puppy now.

Every pet owner deals with the grief of pet loss differently. What do you do? Do you open your home and heart to a new pet, or do you need some time as well?

i have experienced this one many times. i had so many dogs who died because of illness and accidents. it is really hard to overcome it and crying for weeks and months is very normal. but then i never try to close the door for new pets. although it is hard to have new pets again because of the fear that you might lose them again, still, i am willing to try.

I know many people who will not get pets because they do not want to deal with pet loss. I think they are robbing themselves of a lot ot joy and happiness.