In a breakup, many secondary losses occur. One secondary loss that is not considered is the loss of a pet in a divorce or breakup. Not seeing a pet is one loss that can occur. This can lead to a loss that sometimes is overlooked by society.
In breakups and divorce this type of loss is all too common and the state, like with children, does not grant shared custody of a pet, even if we wish to consider our pet equal to a human. Ultimately, many bitter breakups use children and also pets as ways to punish the other when in reality you are only punishing the child or the pet.
The article,”LOSING A PET IN A BREAKUP IS THE HARDEST PART OF SPLITTING NO ONE TALKS ABOUT—HERE ARE TIPS TO DEAL” by Rachel Lapida states,
“I remember the day we got her: Penny was a tiny chocolate ball of a puppy who already knew how to fetch and she could sleep in the bed with her human parents. I lived with my boyfriend and we raised her together before adding another puppy, Zelda, to our household a year later. I loved all three of my roommates so much—until my boyfriend and I broke up and he took the dogs. And that’s why I have to write about them in past tense. They’re still alive, but not in my life.”
To read the entire article, please click here
Please also review our Pet Loss Grief Counseling program to learn more. The program is online and independent study that is open to qualified professionals looking for certification in Pet Loss Grief Counseling.