{"title":"Is it Okay to Grieve for Your Pet?","description":"\u003ch1\u003eIs it Okay to Grieve for Your Pet?\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cem\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Greiving for your pet\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0709\/9819\/6355\/files\/woman-pet-dog.jpg?v=1772727428\" style=\"float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;\"\u003eIf it's just an  animal, why do I feel so bad?\u003c\/em\u003e \n The  question ran through my thoughts, over and over, as I drove back \nfrom taking Juliet,  my golden retriever of over a decade, to her very \nlast visit to the vet.  I couldn't stay for the needle.  I tossed her \ninto the arms of the  receptionist and ran.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tI took a day off of work.   Seriously.  To\n a non-pet owner  this makes no sense.  It's just a  dog.  It's not like\n my grandmother  died.  But I \n\t\u003cem\u003efelt\u003c\/em\u003e like my grandmother died.   \nIn fact, to be completely honest (sorry grandma), I felt worse then I  \ndid when my grandmother died.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tOne minute I expected Juliet to pop up \naround the corner,  the next I was guilty for not squeezing in one last \nwalk when I had the  chance.  Did I really need to board her  last \nChristmas?  She must have felt so  alone.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tCommon sense told me I was being silly, \nbut my insides were  telling me something completely different.   That \nis, until I came home to my husband, and he made a simple comment,  that\n at first, I completely disagreed with:\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tIt's OK to be mad, he told me.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tWhat did he mean, mad?   I wasn't mad.  Was I?  I mean, I\u003cem\u003e had\u003c\/em\u003e sworn never to go back to that vet again, but I didn't really blame  them.  Or, I guess, on second thought,  maybe I did.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tOnly slowly, did I begin to understand \nthat many emotions comprise  the grieving process.  Sometimes you feel  \nthem in stages, and sometimes you feel all or part of them all at once\n much  like being pelted simultaneously by rotten apples, oranges, and \nbananas.  They all feel bad, but you're not really sure  which source \nyou should address first.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tAfter the loss of your pet, you may feel \nempty inside, you  may feel depressed and withdrawn you may even be \nangry.  No matter how you feel, it's important to  understand that it's \nperfectly normal to go through stages of grief, just as  you would after\n losing a human loved one.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Five Stages of  Grief\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDenial.\u003c\/strong\u003e   During the \ndenial stage, you may ignore your feelings of sadness or even  deny the \nfact that your pet is gone.  You  may feel nothing at all.  These \nfeelings  of denial can sometimes happen before the loss of a pet:  For \nexample, if your pet has been diagnosed  with a terminal illness, you \nmay deny that there is something wrong.\n\t\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBargaining.  \u003c\/strong\u003eOnce the \nnumbness has subsided, you may find yourself making mental  deals with \nyourself.  It's not uncommon  to think things like, \n\t\u003cem\u003eIf my dog gets  better, I'll never forget to take him for those long walks he likes no matter now busy I am. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"bodytext\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAnger.  \u003c\/strong\u003eThe loss of \nyour pet can lead to feelings of anger.  You may find yourself feeling \nhostility  towards your pet's veterinarian for not being able to save or\n cure your pet;  you may even be angry at yourself, especially if you've\n had to make the  difficult decision to euthanize your pet.\n\t\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGrief.  \u003c\/strong\u003eAfter anger, \ntrue sadness sets in.  Grieving is different for everybody, and  \neverybody works through it at their own pace.   Just remember that it's \nokay to cry and feel sad don't be afraid to talk to a supportive \nfriend or family member  who understands how much your pet meant to you.\n\t\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAcceptance.  \u003c\/strong\u003eAcceptance\n doesn't mean that you've stopped loving or thinking about  your \ndeceased pet, but it does mean that the pain slowly starts to go  away. \n When you accept the loss of your  pet, you are able to remember the \nmany happy times you had together.  Over time, you may even decide to \nwelcome a  new animal friend into your life.\n\t\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFinding Closure\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tThere's no right or wrong way to grieve \nafter the loss of  your pet.  You may choose to hold a small  memorial \nservice for your pet, or you may decide to make a charitable donation  \nto a local animal shelter in your pet's name.   Sometimes just talking \nabout it can help:  Talk about your loss with a caring friend, or  join \nan \n\t\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=online+pet+loss+support\"\u003eonline  support group\u003c\/a\u003e to connect with others who have recently lost a  pet.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tSix months after I said goodbye to Juliet,\n I got a new  dog.  Getting a new pet can help you move  on as well, as \nlong as you understand that your new pet will never replace your  old \none.  Your new pet is a different  soul under your care, and it wouldn't\n be fair for you or for them to try to  mold them in your last pet's\n image.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tToday, over two years after Juliet's \ndeath, when I watch one  of those sappy dog movies, I still sometimes \nhave to pretend my allergies are  acting up so I can get a Kleenex.  And\n I  doubt I'll ever be able to look at Juliet's old pictures without \nsmiling a sad  little smile.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tBut as time goes by, the pain has gone \naway.  And gradually, it will for you, too.  Then one day, you'll be \njoking with friends  at dinner and you'll realize that you just told a \nstory about that camping trip  you two went on, or that time she tore up\n your grandmothers futon, or the time  when she chased after the Great Dane ten times her size, and you'll realize  that everyone laughed.  \nIncluding you.\n\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[],"url":"https:\/\/www.everlifememorials.com\/collections\/is-it-okay-to-grieve-for-your-pet.oembed","provider":"Everlife Memorials","version":"1.0","type":"link"}