“Death ends a life – it does not end a relationship.” — (Anderson, 1974) When one suffers the loss of a dear, beloved animal companion, it is a profound loss and a heart-wrenching experience: “I feel like a part of me died with her. I feel a deep emptiness inside that is physically painful (bereaved [...]
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Did My Cat Go to Heaven?
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October 1, 2011
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Question from a reader: I have been grieving the loss of my cat for some time now, and the pain does not go away. I am still very sad and wondering what kind of help you can give me. I keep thinking—did my Mittens go to heaven or not? I had a very tight bond [...]
Falling in Love Again after Pet-Loss
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April 15, 2011
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My beloved first golden retriever died in July 2005, The anticipated and then excruciating pain of his loss lingered for months on end, tears flowed uncontrollably and a growing yearning for that furry connection permeated my soul. I swore to never get another dog again, as I couldn’t tolerate yet another heart wrenching “letting go.” [...]
Grief Following the Loss of a Beloved Pet
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March 9, 2011
7 Responses
The Pain of Loss “This is the most terrible pain I have ever had and I feel like I will never be the same person I was before my pet passed. It felt like someone ripped my heart out of my chest when he died and a scream came out of me that was from [...]
When Animal Friends Die
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January 21, 2011
6 Responses
They say cats have nine lives. I wish that were true, but the facts contradict such myths. Everything dies, including the felines, dogs and other creatures we choose to care for and have in our lives. Most animals tend to have a shorter life-span than humans, thereby increasing the chances that our beloved friend will [...]
Pet Loss Can Devastate
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June 6, 2010
1 Response
Although a common thread connects the stages of grief, the journey of sorrow materializes differently for each person who trudges through it. From overwhelming emotion, timeless pain and isolation to frozen reality or numbness, self-destruction and complete denial, grief is customized to each individual. It is also very real and may be devastating when you [...]
Animal-Human Connection Lives on After Death
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March 21, 2010
2 Responses
I am a cat-lover, I will admit it. Growing up, I had cats here and there, but my dad was really intolerant of the normal pet things like fleas and “accidents” on the carpets, so I never had a cat for very long. I had one kitten for four days; then he discovered it had [...]
Pets, Grief and the ‘Bootsy and Angel Effect’
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March 6, 2010
4 Responses
Many in our society do not recognize the impact that pet loss has on an individual. For many people, the loss of a beloved pet may be the first significant loss that is experienced in life. Pets see us through many significant milestones in life such as marriages, divorces, death and the birth of our [...]
Poem: Holly Jolly – My Chihuahua
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March 4, 2010
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You were a tiny little angel Sent to me from the heavens above. You were a soft and cuddly ball of fur Filling my life with unconditional love. My Precious – Holly Jolly. Peanut and Gunner are not the same Missing you more with each passing day. They look around and go to the back [...]
Daughter Wants to Help Mom after Death of Beloved Dog
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February 11, 2010
2 Responses
Question from a reader: I am writing in hopes that you may be able to provide advice or support that I can give my parents who just had to euthanize their 12-year-old Golden Lab, Baxter. He had to be put to sleep because he could not walk anymore. It was a very sad event for the [...]
How to Help a Child Cope With Pet-Loss
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January 7, 2010
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Five-year-old Greg was sad. His pet gerbil, Jasper, had died. Jasper was lying in the cage very still. Greg started screaming and crying and Mom ran into the room to see what happened. “Something is wrong with Jasper. He isn’t moving. I’m scared.” Mom had a tear in her eye. “Jasper died, sweetie.” Greg put [...]
Compassionate Self-Forgiveness (Part 1)
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October 18, 2009
4 Responses
I was reflecting today on my dog Ringo, who died after being hit by a car when I was fifteen. As I ran to his side, he acknowledged my presence with one last wag of his tail. I was devastated. I blamed myself for his death. I also blamed my mom, who was at work. [...]
Dad Troubled by Accidental Death of Son’s Kitten
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September 21, 2009
2 Responses
By – Marty Tousley, CNS-BC, FT, DCC Question from a reader: I received a phone call last night from my frantic wife with my 13-year-old son screaming and crying in the background. He put the recliner chair down and it crushed his 12-week-old kitten. She died on the way to the vet’s . . . [...]
Death of Dog Compared to Child’s Death
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August 18, 2009
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Not long ago I was listening to the Today Show and Jill Rappaport was interviewing a woman who had lost her dog. This woman compared the loss of her dog as equal to the loss of a family member. As much as I loved the two dogs I owned in my lifetime for 15 years each, there [...]
Helping Grandchildren with Pet Loss
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June 26, 2009
1 Response
By – Marty Tousley, CNS-BC, FT Question: I very sadly had to euthanize my wonderful dog of 8 years last night. She has been with me with so many other losses and helped me through. Now here I am and at a loss without her. I am having a terrible time but am contacting you to [...]
Common Myths and Misconceptions about the Loss of a Cherished Pet
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June 26, 2009
2 Responses
by – Marty Tousley, CNS-BC, FT COMMON MYTHS ABOUT THE LOSS OF PETS: There is nothing special about the relationship between animals and humans. Your relationship with a companion animal can be just as special and loving as those you have with any other family member or close friend. Loving an animal is different from [...]
Cat is Missing 54 Days and Counting
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June 24, 2009
3 Responses
Betty writes in: There is so little information to be found on how to deal with the loss of a pet…not death…worse, their being lost and not knowing where they are or if they are scared or hurt or dead. It is true that if you just knew what happened to them, the healling could [...]
Telling a Child About Two Deaths in One Day
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June 22, 2009
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By Pamela Gabbay, M.A., FT – My mind was simultaneously racing around in circles and dull as a knife. She’s only four… four. I could not fathom how I was going to tell my four-year-old daughter that her beloved grandmother, my mom, had just died. Her grandmother, who called her “my little Meg,” and lovingly [...]
Children React Differently When A Pet Dies, Based on Their Age
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May 4, 2009
5 Responses
By – Colleen Mihelich Many factors can contribute to how a child will feel when their pet dies. The child’s age and maturity are important factors. As with older people, the relationship the child had with the pet, the circumstances of the pet’s death, and other events or losses the child has experienced will influence [...]
When Your Companion Animal is Missing
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May 4, 2009
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By – © 2009 Marty Tousley, CNS-BC, FT As a hospice bereavement counselor who also specializes in pet loss, I’ve encountered in my support groups and through my Web sites many distraught animal lovers whose beloved dogs or cats have gone missing. These animals may have escaped from their home or yard, run off while [...]
A Spiritual Connection To Our Pet Companions
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March 2, 2009
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Picture the humorous sight of a Golden Retriever with short, little Corgi legs and you have a glimpse of our precious Tucker, who died February 21, 2009 at age 16 1/2. Tucker was truly a ray of sunshine in our lives. She was always there to greet us at the door with her big brown [...]
Dog Returns in a Dream and Comforts Owner
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January 16, 2009
1 Response
By Luellen Hoffman – Recently while doing research for my book, Special Dream, I asked people if they ever had someone close to them die and then appear to them in an unusual dream. Over three hundred people responded and out of that group, five people wrote to tell me their dog had died and [...]
Continuing Connections: Mourning the Death of Your Pet
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December 18, 2008
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By Cori Bussolari –
My Dog, Tally, Died
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March 12, 2007
5 Responses
By Dr. Gloria Horsley I was on my way to work on Friday when my son-in-law called to say the family dog, Tally, was hit and killed while chasing a squirrel across a busy highway. My son-in-law said he and my four grand-children needed me. I turned the car around and went back to the [...]
