Tori’s Time: Honoring the Loss of a Beloved Pet

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By Tori Goodrich

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a special connection to animals and from an early age our family pets as well as the animals in nature that lived around my family home helped me cope with difficult situations and grief.  Don’t get me started on the flying squirrel we had for six years.

As I have helped and worked with clients through the loss of a beloved pet, I think it is very important to speak about how this loss impacts everyone differently.

I believe it is imperative to honor each person’s process and be aware how feelings of despair, loneliness and even depression can be overwhelming. There may also be a strong sense of guilt and self-doubt, particularly when a decision has been taken to euthanize or rehome a pet.

These feelings are normal and a testimony to the special bond between people and their pets.

Animals offer us unconditional love. We can let our guard down with our pets. They don’t have an agenda.  They have their own specific personality and they are with us 24/7.

For children, the loss of a pet may be their first exposure to death.  A loss of a pet is a key moment for teaching children about the value of life. Give them time to mourn; possibly help them create a scrapbook or collage.

It’s ok for them to be sad and please don’t feel that you need to replace your pet with another pet immediately.  Allow the best process for everyone.

Few of us ask our employers for time off to grieve a beloved animal because we fear doing so would paint us as overly sentimental, lacking in maturity or emotionally weak.

My request is we give grieving pet owners the recognition, support and consideration they need. Yes, it is up to us to identify and address our emotional wounds when our pet dies, but the more validation we receive from those around us, the quicker and the more complete our psychological recovery will be.

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Tori Goodrich is a life, business and professional; What Should I Do Now coach. She is also the co-owner of Gener8tional Connections helping companies work through the great divide. Contact Tori by telephone at 610.613.2127, on the web at www.victoriagoodrich.com, or via email at tgoodrich@vista.today.

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