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Saying goodbye to a beloved pet can be difficult. Many of those who have experienced the death of a pet compare it to losing a family member. Animals provide emotional support, companionship, and unconditional love to their owners, so when they pass away, feelings of sorrow and expressions of grief are normal and should be expected.

Accept your feelings
People often feel that the death of a pet is somehow insignificant or less important than the death of a loved one. Comments such as, "Oh, he just lost his dog" are common. When coping with a pet's death, however, you must acknowledge the deep grief and profound sense off loss that you feel. Coming home to a quiet house or seeing a pet's empty bed can trigger feelings of sadness. Do not be afraid to accept and express these negative emotions even when others many see them as trivial.

Help children cope
The death of a pet can be a traumatic experience for children, and long bouts of illness or euthanasia can be even harder for kids to understand. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) recommends having a memorial service to allow children to honor and remember the pet: "Sitting down with the family and sharing memories of your pet can make your children sad - but it can make them laugh, too, and will help your child understand that everyone is feeling the loss as well."

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]]>death of a petDeathOfAPetgrieving a petGrievingAPetloss of a petLossOfAPetJessica WhittaFri, 08 Jan 2010 14:00:00 EST