How to Handle the Loss of a Pet

A pet quickly becomes a member of your family. Unfortunately, they don't live as long as humans. That means that all pet owners will eventually have to deal with the loss of their pets. This can be very emotional and hard on all of the family members, including other pets in the home. There are some things you can do to help your family deal with the loss of your beloved pet.

Things You'll Need

  • Pictures of your pet
  • Scrapbook
  • Seeds for a plant or flower
  • Letter
  • Newspaper article
  • Support group
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Instructions

    • 1

      Bury your pet first. If your township allows you to bury the pet in your backyard, then do so. If the township does not allow this, you can ask the vet to handle your pet's remains.

    • 2

      Hold a funeral ceremony for your pet. Have family members gather pictures of the themselves with your pet. Each family member can share a special time they had with their pet or one of their fondest memories. Talking about the pet and how much you will miss him or her is a big step toward recovering from the loss.

    • 3

      Allow yourself some time to get through the stages of grief. This includes anger, denial, guilt and depression. This is common, so you should not try to hide your grief or be upset with yourself for caring so much.

    • 4

      Plant a flower or tree in memory of your pet. Each spring when you see it grow, you can remember all of the good times you had with your pet.

    • 5

      Make a scrapbook that shows the life of your pet. Whenever you are feeling sad, you can get out the book and look through it.

    • 6

      Sit down and write a letter to your pet. This is one way to help your children handle the loss of your pet. They can get their feelings out on paper. They may be able to write things down that they don't feel comfortable sharing with other family members.

    • 7

      Write a small article for your local newspaper recounting the life and death of your pet. At the end of the article, ask for donations to be made to the animal shelter on behalf of your pet.

    • 8

      Join a support group. PetLoss.net (see Resources) has a comprehensive list of support groups available in each of the 50 states. You can click on your state in the top left-hand corner. You will then see several support groups as well as counselors you can use to help you handle your grief.