It’s important for you to know that all pets should be treated with dignity and respect.

It’s not “just a dog” or “just a cat” or “just any other breed of pet”. Your pet is a family member. With the death of that pet, you experience a significant loss. A difficult problem, however, is that society often denies you the need to grieve for your pet. You may even be chastised for openly and honestly expressing your feelings. As a result, your grief may be hidden or ignored.

Please know you need to grieve the death of your pet and you’re allowed to do so in your own way and in your own time. Grieving means to express your feelings, no matter how painful, outside of yourselves. Give yourself permission to grieve this loss of your family member just as you would a human family member.