"I recall my very first pet’s death very clearly. Apple had disappeared for some time and we had thought that she had run away. Within days, the house began to smell odd. It turned out that Apple hidden herself under the house to die. I watched as my father went to retrieve her. The odor was terrible and there were disturbing effects of decomposition. As my father dragged her body out from under the house he yelled for me to move away. He did not want me to see Apple in her state. But, I just wanted to see my pet once more. As shocking as it was to see Apple dead, I felt a little bit of comfort in that at least I knew what had happened to her. In retrospect, I believe it was beneficial to have had the closure of witnessing her body after death. The only part I wish I had not seen was that my father laid her body out on the curb next to the household trash awaiting pick up by animal control. I would have much rather buried my best friend in our yard."
"I remember being confused and in denial over the loss of my pet duck when I was little. I somewhat understood that things died from what I had seen in movies and TV but suspected that it was somehow reversible. Or maybe not something that had anything to do with me. I did not understand the gravity of death. I remember holding my pet in my hands trying to streighten its head, opening his beak, and calling to it for it to wake up. It was not until I helped my mother bury it that I understood the death was final and that my friend was not to come back."
"At one office I worked at, a lady was hired who brought and set up a framed photo of her dog with her and set it up on her desk her first day. As it turned out, her dog had recently passed away and she had few family or friends, so she was still quite broken up over it. I remember the way everyone at work thought she was odd. She wasn't very social and did not seem to want to interact with others. Though I could relate to her love for her pet, it was clear she needed to address her grief over his loss. Her work suffered, her relationships with coworkers was strained, and she seemed to have difficulty coping. It wasn't long before the company let her go because she simply could not perform her job. I still think of her and hope she found a way to address her loss and that she found solace."
"The first pet I remember losing was our Miniature Schnauzer, JJ. He was 12 years old when he started having seizures on his daily walks. The vet said there was nothing we could do about these seizures. Eventually, the seizures got worse. After an especially bad one, I missed school so my grandmother and I could take him to the vet. JJ had congestive heart failure and the vet said not much could be done. We decided his qualitly of life was such that the most humane thing we could do was put him to sleep. We waited while they injected him and petted him until he stopped breathing. It was sad to return home without him, then pick up his old food & water dishes, collect his leashes and sweaters and put all those things away. I was grateful we spent the day together afterward. It was difficult to let our friend go."
There are now free pet grief support hotlines available for those who have suffer the loss of a beloved pet.
Visit or call Washington State University. Washington State University - Free Pet Loss Hotline - (866) 266-8635 is one such place offering grief support.
If you are located in or around Portland, Dove Lewis offers pet loss support groups weekly. To learn more, visit their website: Dove Lewis Pet Loss Grief Support Group Portland
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