pet loss grief

Pet Loss Grief: Memorializing a Pet

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

The best ways of memorializing a pet

Memorializing a pet is quite a complex decision going by the number of ways people tend to connect to their pets and the different ways they like to remember them when they’re gone. When it comes to pets, almost everyone has a memory. Since pets form a significant part of their owner’s lives, they’re thoroughly missed in almost every case. The grief of pet loss can be just as hard as losing a family member. But just like we do for the people we love most, there are many ways of memorializing a pet once they’ve passed away. Here’s a list of 6 amazing things you can do to make sure your pet is remembered and cherished long after he/she is gone.

 Make an Photo Tribute

One of the best ways of memorializing a pet would be to make a photo tribute with all the pictures you’ve got of your little ball of fur. Of course, this is assuming you have plenty of pictures that are really good looking and photogenic. Amateur photos aren’t great for a detailed photo tribute, but nonetheless if low quality pictures are the only ones you have, you can still consider hiring the services of a photoshop expert to tune up, edit and turn your pet’s pictures into an album that will make an amazing photo tribute.

 Make a Life Size Replica

Another great way of memorializing a pet would be to have a life sized statue of him standing in your backyard. If you’re a craft person, you could also consider a bunch of other things like making a painting of your pet or a wood carving that symbolizes a cherished moment with your pet. However, none of these comes close to having a life size statue of your pet in your backyard. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Just an ordinary sculpture painted in real life colors. If you’re willing to blow some cash on it, you might as well get it made in metal for a better look.

 Frame a Written Tribute

There’s no better way to express your love for a lost pet than through words. Words are not only the best possible way of memorializing a pet, but they also provide you and everyone else a perspective into your pet’s life long after he’s gone. Now that’s far better than a statue or a craft piece that just shows off how your pet looked. Instead, a written tribute like a framed poem along with a picture can be a better source of remembrance than anything else.

 Plant a Tree in your Pet’s Memory

Most cities would let you plant a tree memorializing a pet in a city park. However, if that is too much to ask, you can simply plant a seed or a sapling in your backyard in remembrance of your pet. If you’d like people to know more about your pet, you can also put a small plaque near the plant with a poem in memory of your pet. Make sure the plaque is not too near the tree as trees tend to grow big. With this you’d have a permanent living memory of your lost pet.

 Keep your Pet’s Ashes in an Ornate Urn

This is the most widely accepted conventional method of memorializing a pet these days. Buy an urn that is specially made to hold ashes. Most shops let you carve or inscribe your pet’s name on the urn for a small fee. Once made, you can put your pet’s ashes in the urn and keep it in a memorable place at your house. Sometimes you can even get a picture of your pet painted on the urn for better remembrance. If you inscribe a poem on the urn, it will be a great way of telling your kids and grandchildren later on in life about how wonderful your pet was. Having the urn as a memorial can be a good way to help with pet loss grief support

 Contribute to a Cause

It is most likely that your pet died of something. Let’s say a rash driver or a specific disease. Most animal shelters will let you put up a small plaque memorializing a pet at their grounds. They often let you do this in exchange for a small donation. You get the opportunity to highlight your pet’s fate and call for a solution on this plaque. You never know who it will inspire. You can also consider donating to research organizations that are trying to find a cure for whatever it is that your pet died of. There are many ways of memorializing a pet that are equally good or better than all the above. But in the end it’s all about how much you care for your pets and the kinds of ways in which you would like to remember them after they are gone.
If you are interested in information on this topic, click this link: Pet Loss Grief Support

Pet Loss Grief and People

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Pet Loss Grief

How is pet loss grief different than grieving for a fellow human being? In many ways, the two are the same. For some people, however, their pets are their closest confidants. These people choose to tell all of their deepest, darkest, secrets to their cat or dog instead of risking telling them to a person who might tell. Pets are a great comfort to their companions, and when they die, they leave a hole unlike any other known to man. When a person loses their pet, their house feels quiet and empty all of a sudden. Their everyday routines are altered and do not feel comfortable or right. There is no pet to feed or take on a walk or to cuddle with or reprimand when it scratches on the couch or barks at the mail man. A dog or a cat can be a person’s best friend, and losing that is hard to cope with

Dealing with Pet Loss Grief

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

How to Deal with Pet Loss Grief

When dealing with the loss of a pet, it is natural to feel a sense of grief, abandonment, and maybe even anger at the universe for taking away such a beloved companion. These are all normal expressions of a very real sorrow, and all part of the grief cycle. There are different methods of coping with the loss of a pet. Some families immediately purchase a new pet, in hopes of finding healing through loving another. Some families go through a pet dry spell where they eschew all pets in order to grieve for their lost pet more effectively. Still others seek outside help in the form of grief counseling, or seek solace in education with courses in pet loss grief. However you choose to mourn your furry friend, realize that this sadness is ultimately short lived, and there are always a multitude of friendly animals that would greatly benefit from the care and concern that you have to offer.

Helping People with Pet Loss Grief

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Working through Pet Loss Grief

Saying good bye is a day we all dread. Please also review AIHCP's Pet Loss Grief Support Certification

I had no idea you could go to school and get a certification for pet loss bereavement. I knew there were many people hurting about loosing there pet. I know when I lost my dog five months ago it hit me really hard. I loved my Bj like no other dog. He was 13 and he was my little baby. I still miss him now when I look at pictures of him. Thankfully I still have my cats and other dog Ike to help me get through this hard time. So I can easily see why people who don’t have anyone to talk to about the loss of their beloved pet would really appreciated speaking to someone who was skilled in pet bereavement. I decided to take the course. Helping People Deal with Their Loss I had no idea you could go to school and get a certification for pet loss grief. I knew there were many people hurting about loosing there pet. I know when I lost my dog five months ago it hit me really hard. I loved my Bj like no other dog. He was 13 and he was my little baby. I still miss him now when I look at pictures of him. Thankfully I still have my cats and other dog Ike to help me get through this hard time. So I can easily see why people who don’t have anyone to talk to about the loss of their beloved pet would really appreciated speaking to someone who was skilled in pet bereavement. I decided to take the course so I could help other people as well as helping myself. This course was helpful and very educational and I have three clients that are handling this issue right now.

Pet Loss Grief: Consider a Pet Hospice

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Pet loss grief can be overwhelming, especially in the last weeks of a dying pets life. It used to be the only choice you had was to euthanize your pet if it was terminally sick or injured. Now pet hospice provides another alternative. Pet hospice has slowly been gaining acceptance in recent years, even though it has been around for a couple of decades. Based on the successful model that has been used with humans, pet hospice allows for animals to die as comfortably and as painlessly as possible in the home.
Hospice for pets can be a volunteer organization working with a veterinarian or it can be members of a vet staff that provide the education and care of terminally ill pets. Taking care of a dying pet can be very demanding. If you decide to take on this challenge, you will need to set aside time so that you can provide the necessary support to your animal. You are taught to understand the body language of your animal so that you will know if it is in distress or discomfort. Pet hospice educates you in pain management so that you will know when the appropriate time to give medications is. Usually medications are given before the pain becomes a problem. They also provide grief counseling for you and the family as you prepare for your pet to die.
If you don’t have a pet hospice near you, you can talk by phone or contact online organizations that can work with you. You always have the option to euthanize if you can’t manage the animal’s pain or if you can’t handle your pet’s suffering. Pet hospice is just another alternative that will allow your pet to die with dignity and in a peaceful environment surrounded by loved ones. When going through pet loss grief, consider seeking out the assistance of a qualified grief counselor.