Coping with the loss of a pet

Losing a pet is a heartbreaking experience. Here at Pets R.I.P we understand this difficult time and have put together some information to help in this time of need.

Trying to understand my feelings after a loyal companion passes away…

Every pet owner will be affected by the loss of their beloved pet and cope with grief differently. Pets play a significant part in the lives of their owners, sharing both our joys and our sorrows. Pets can be an important source of great emotional support through both bad times and good. Any pet owner who has experienced a period of grief, hardship or despair will understand how comforting the emotional bond between owner and pet can be.

Therefore the loss of a loved pet can be quite evident on an owner, evoking the strongest of human emotions: grief. It is important to understand that feelings of grief, devastation and confusion are quite normal and acceptable following the loss of a pet. The individual’s ability to handle, understand and express their grief will determine whether they find themselves overwhelmed by their loss or whether they will find the ability to cope.

Depending on the individual, quite profound physical, emotional and mental stages can mark the grieving process following the loss of a pet. Grieving is not just a temporary state of mind and may take many months, years or even the rest of your life to work through.

Most of us need to move through the various stages of our grief, in whatever order they come, so that we can finally begin to build a new life.

You need to Grieve…

Crying is a very powerful form of emotional release and is something that you should not be afraid to do. Some people will prefer to cry in their own privacy where they cannot be seen by others while many will release their grief in the comfort of family and friends.

However you do it, crying is something that you should not be ashamed to do. It is very important to release your intense emotions through crying as bottling your emotions can make recovery from grief a very slow and much more difficult process.

Being there to help those grieving…

The best way to support:

Just be There: Providing support by just listening will be very helpful.

Just be Aware: Working through the grief cycle is very important.

Just be Understanding: We may not understand the loss our friend is going through.

Just take Time: Don’t judge grief as a loss takes time to recover from.

Just be Ready: To hear stories that may often be repeated, it is a vital factor in the recovery process.

Please contact Pets RIP for any further support or visit https://petsrip.com.au/support/ for more information.