Pet Grief
The past several weeks, I’ve heard from colleagues and friends who have lost special pets. They of course mourn for these missing critters. But we also worry about the animal companions left behind.
It’s not just d*gs and cats that feel grief when they lose an animal companion. My friend Margie adopted a kid and lamb about the same time, thirteen years ago. Sebastian and Guinevere lived together and played together for more than a decade, and now Sebastian the goat is lost without his sheep friend. He paws the ground where she slept. How do you explain that she’s not coming back?
Some d*gs and cats mourn with wailing, crying, or--even more heartbreaking--searching in vain for the missing friend. It sounds a bit spooky to suggest, but some pets really benefit from being able to say goodbye to the body. They can sniff and touch, and realize that Fluffy won’t return. Pets may have any kind of reaction, from howling to nothing at all. As with people, grieving can vary widely. Just being with them, talking to them, spending more time with surviving pets can help them get through. It also helps you as you mourn.
My home church, Trinity Lutheran in Sherman, Texas will celebrate Pet Sunday on August 31st. The sermon topic is, “Do Pets Go to Heaven?” followed by a picnic lunch complete with “puppy chow” desert; a pet care lecture and then a pet blessing later that evening (drive through, so the heat won’t be a problem for pets).
Some of my colleagues donated copies of their books for my pet care/behavior talk that day, and they’re incredibly moving and helpful for both children and adults. If you or a loved one has recently lost a pet, you might want to take a look at one or more of these titles. You can find out more about them at www.eternalanimals.com, www.lightheartedpress.com, and www.sbulanda.com
My co-blogger Jo Singer here at Petside.com also planned to write this week about a related subject…seems to be a spiritual bent this week! So I hope you’ll read her blog as well.
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