The emotions we experience when we lose a beloved pet often take us by surprise. Some of us might think it’s silly to show sorrow when an animal dies, and we hide our grief. But sorrow over the loss of a pet is the most natural thing in the world. We’ve lost a dear friend, a companion, a member of the family.

One of the best ways to heal from this type of loss is to commemorate our pets in much the same way that we would honor the life of any other family member.

When we’re faced with the death of a pet, we have to ask ourselves important questions: how to explain the death to a child, when and if to get a new pet, and much more.

We’d like to suggest a few ways to cope with an event that is, to most families, a very difficult time.

First, plan some kind of a commemoration for your pet. It might include cremation or burial.

Second, seek the help and wisdom of others who have experienced a similar loss. There are pet loss support groups in many communities.

Third, contact us for a free copy of our brochure, “Coping with the Loss of a Pet.” It contains the answers to many of your questions, and offers sympathetic ways to help your family deal with the loss.

 Local Resources

• Dr. Sandra Barker, Center for Human-Animal Interaction, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University 804-828-PAWS, chai@vcu.edu

• Richmond: Martha Ann Spruill, LCSW, Richmond, VA, 804-405-0939, maspruill@maspruill.com

 Online Resources

• A Different Grief: Coping With Pet Loss: by Marty Tousley, APRN, BC, FT, a certified hospice bereavement counselor
  
• A Different Grief: Helping You and Your Children With Pet Loss: by Marty Tousley, APRN, BC, FT, a certified hospice bereavement counselor