Loss is not easy. It never is and never will be.
Those of us that have had the chance of sharing our life with a beloved pet, understand what unconditional love is. They come into our lives in many forms but they have one thing in common; they love us just the way we are.
They don’t judge us, they don’t question us, and try with their natural wisdom to comfort us.
Their lives are short and the loss of their love, loyalty, trust and companionship makes us grieve as if they were a family member.
If they could talk, they would say “At the end, don’t just cry for me, but honour the life I shared with you.”
The process of finding harmony and balance in our lives after losing a pet is different for each person and takes time.
It hurts so much when we lose them due to the close bond we have established during our time together. At the time we are not thinking how we are going to cope, but remembering the moments they were still with us.
The loss hurts and it won’t truly stop hurting; the pain will just be a bit less as time goes on.
There is not “one” way to grieve, as everyone deals with grief differently. While some choose to be with their pet on their final moments, others choose to leave them in the hands of the veterinarian. Neither choice is wrong.
Some people take a bit more time to get back into the daily routine, while others are back to “normal” afterwards.
It is important to know that we must go through the pain of grief to heal; healing doesn’t mean we are forgetting our beloved pet, instead it means we are honoring the memories we had with them by continuing our lives as if they were still here.
We can turn to family and friends for comforting words though sometimes this is not enough.
On certain occasions we cannot seem to heal from this loss over time and we feel no end to the hurt.
At this point it is necessary to consider finding help, whether it is by finding a local pet loss support group with a pet grieving councillor or speaking with a mental health professional.
The time we share with our beloved pet(s) will stay in our hearts, giving us peace because the love they gave us is still alive. By remembering the great moments we shared together, we honour them. Memories last a lifetime, along with the stories that came from them.
Submitted by Veronica and Naomi Negrin, Pinetree Pet Care Centre
