Archives: Support Topics

The loss of a pet will often be a very sudden event while passing’s due to illness may be long and drawn out. The sudden loss of a loved pet will usually cause intense feelings of shock and often disbelief.

Shock is our natural mechanism for dealing with the many traumatic situations life will deliver. Although shock can often be a sickening and overwhelming sensation it is a state of mind that allows us to gather our resources to manage the stages of grief that will follow.

Every pet owner will be affected by the loss of their beloved pet and cope with grief differently. Pets play a significant part in the lives of their owners, sharing both in our joys and our sorrows. Pets can be an important source of great emotional support through both bad times and good. Any pet owner who has experienced a period of grief, hardship or despair will understand how comforting the emotional bond between owner and pet can be.

Therefore the loss of a loved pet can be quite evident on an owner, evoking the strongest of human emotions: grief. It is important to understand that feelings of grief, devastation and confusion are quite normal and acceptable following the loss of a pet. The individual’s ability to handle, understand and express their grief will determine whether they find themselves overwhelmed by their loss or whether they will find the ability to cope.

Depending on the individual, quite profound physical, emotional and mental stages can mark the grieving process following the loss of a pet. Grieving is not just a temporary state of mind and may take many months, years or even the rest of your life to work through.

Most of us need to move through the various stages of our grief, in whatever order they come, so that we can finally begin to build a new life.