Posts tagged "death of a pet"

Kelly Osbourne is having a tough month. Just last week, she and her fiance, Luke Worrell, split over rumors that he had cheated on her. And yesterday, Osbourne's Pomeranian puppy, Woody, was found dead, reports the (U.K) Daily Mail.

Before making the discovery, Osbourne had gone to Las Vegas for a friend's birthday party in an attempt to cheer herself up. But upon arriving home, she tweeted the heartbreaking news that Woody was dead. No word has been given on what might have caused the pup's unexpected death.

The puppy, who was just 14 weeks old, had been a gift from Osbourne to Worrell. Osbourne claimed that her fiance was jealous of her bond with her dog, Sid, and she adopted Woody so Worrell would have a devoted poochy pal of his own.

The former "Dancing With the Stars" contestant comes from a famously dog-crazy clan. During the peak of "The Osbournes" mania in the early 2000's, the family became well-known for their horde of canine companions.

Handling the death of a beloved pet is hard even during the best of times, and the fact that she's also mourning the end of an engagement just adds to the pain. Our thoughts are being sent to Osbourne and all her friends and family who loved Woody.

A New York judge has ruled that the nation's oldest pet cemetery was justified when it dug up a dead dog named Dodo, cremated him and removed his burial plot because the owner failed to pay the annual maintenance bills.

In a lawsuit against Hartsdale Pet Cemetery and Crematory in Westchester, owner Man-Hung Lee argued that she paid $31 in 2000 for the annual care of Dodo's burial grounds. The cemetery said the $31 was an annual fee and counter-sued. White Plains City Court Judge Brian Hansbury sided with the cemetery and ordered Lee to pay $145 for the unpaid care, saying it was "absurd" to assume that a one-time payment of $31 would be sufficient to pay for the perpetual care of Dodo's plot and the cemetery grounds.

Lee's lawyers said there was no question that she was committed to Dodo, a mixed-breed that she brought with her from China. Before his death, she spent $10,000 on a pacemaker for the dog. And upon his death, she spent nearly $1,500 on what was to be his final resting place, with an oak casket and a pink, heart-shaped monument engraved with Chinese lettering. She visited his grave twice a year, leaving flowers and an apple in the summer and a pumpkin and flowers in the fall, the lawsuit said.

In 2004, she was furious to learn that the cemetery had dug up Dodo and spread his ashes around the cemetery. After the ruling, Lee's husband, John Tsun, told the New York Daily News, "We just can't believe it. It's still a shock to us."

Like so many pet owners, Anita Pace was grief-stricken when her dog died a few years ago. But now, when she wants to remember the good times, she can do more than look at pictures of her chihuahua-papillon mix, Leilani.

All she has to do is look at the little white dog perched on her fireplace mantle.

It may seem creepy to some, but more pet owners are opting to preserve their animals forever by having them freeze-dried and mounted. In fact, the premiere episode of Jerry Seinfeld's new show, "The Marriage Ref," featured a couple's spat over the husband's choice to have his dead Boston terrier "stuffed" and displayed in the living room. (The judges sided with the wife.)

For the owners who never want to let go, at least 20 companies in the U.S. offer "pet preservation," the industry term for freeze-drying the animal's body while maintaining its size, shape and general appearance.

The husband-and-wife team that runs Perpetual Pet in Keyser, W.Va. call freeze drying the "loving and lasting alternative." Some people don't believe in cremation, and burial is not always an option, the company's website says. There may not be a pet cemetery in the area, or "perhaps you know that you might someday move from your home, and can't bear the thought of leaving your pet behind," the company says.

Not everyone is prepared emotionally to see their pet every day and be reminded that it will never wake up. But Pace, who lives in Oregon, knew she didn't want to cremate or bury her beloved dog. She searched for "taxidermy" on the Internet and found an article about freeze-drying.

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."