1. Talking to a friend about your pet. It’s difficult, but I found it helpful to talk about Scout and share stories and my feelings with people I knew would be sympathetic to the pain I was feeling.
2. Cry. I did this often. It’s okay to not be okay. Crying is therapeutic. Allow yourself to grieve.
3. Consider a ceremony. I found Scout’s ceremony extremely comforting. It was a time for me, my family and friends to say our goodbyes.
4. Take your time to heal. Allow yourself time. There is no time limit on grief.
5. Memorialize your pet. I’ve done this by creating this website in his honor and will also at some point make a piece of keepsake jewelry with Scout’s ashes. You could do this in many different ways such as by writing about your pet in a journal, creating a scrapbook or mural, or putting together a book about your favorite memories and life together.
5. Seek out a reputable pet-communicator if this is something you’re comfortable with. I found it extremely helpful.
6. Talk to a pet loss grief counselor or join a local pet loss support group.
7. Donate to your favorite pet charity in honor of your beloved pet.
8. Take some time off work if that’s at all possible.
9. Get outside in nature. This helped me immensely. When you exercise, your brain releases a hormone that helps one feel better.
12. Spend extra time loving on your other pets or friend’s pets.
13. Work on establishing new routines. This is hard for those of us whose days revolved around our pets. This is why it’s so important to find new ways to create new habits to help you keep moving forward.
13. Don’t rush to replace your pet. You’ll know in your heart when the time is right.
14. Find some books to read about coping with pet loss. A have a few that helped me in my Amazon favorites.
15. Don’t be afraid to seek professional help. If your loss is significantly interfering with your ability to function, consider seeking a professional therapist or doctor.
To all those missing a beloved pet, or preparing to say goodbye, please know you are understood, you are cared for, you are not alone, and you just have to keep going. Keep moving forward, each day, one step at a time. You’re going to be alright. ((hugs))
When Tomorrow Starts Without Me
When tomorrow starts without me
And I’m not there to see
The sun will rise and find your eyes
All filled with tears for me
As much as I love you
And each time that you think of me
I know you’ll miss me too
But when tomorrow starts without me
Please try to understand
That an angel came and called my name
And petted me with her hand
I thought about our lives together
I know you must be sad
I thought of all the love we shared
And all the fun we had
So when tomorrow starts without me
Don’t think we’re far apart
For every time you think of me
I’m right there in your heart
-Author Unknown
Love this post-especially the poem at the end. Thanks for sharing! Losing a heart dog is so very difficult!
One of the most difficult days of my life thus far. Hugs to you friend.
Thank you for all the helpful tips to deal with the grief/loss of our dog 🐶🐾
Also, discovering your IG page & Scout’s story has been a great source of comfort 🤎
Nothing is a coincidence🐶
Thank you !
We call that a Godwink.
Thank you so much for thiese strategies for coping with grief of losing your ❤️🦮🐾🌈. Initially when Sebastian passed , i was a mess ( still am. But it does get easier as time goes on ). I did a few of the suggestions that you have listed here and they helped me so much. I did take some time iff work. And did seek some therapy. Sebastian was my favourite Helloi. My hardest goodbye 💜🌈😢. He was my everything. It is so helpful to read everyone else comments and realize that everyone is going through the same pain and grief and dealing with similar things.
I think knowing we’re not alone is of huge help!
Well, I made it to the second one before I started bawling. Thanks for doing this Melissa as I know how much you yourself is hurting but you are right there always trying to help us. We all appreciate you and Scout and Archie.
Big hugs Julie!
Thank you for this, he was Hudson my heart dog, he was my first dog ever. He was so popular where I live that I had to start an Instagram page for him. He went so suddenly that I was not prepared. He passed away on a Sunday so every Sunday I post a picture of him on his Instagram page with the #sundaysareforhudson
I have people who tell me they look forward to the Sundays to seeing what pictures I will post. And that does help. I got an amazing small tattoo of him done on the inside of my left upper arm where he would always give me hugs. And that is huge to be able to see that there.