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Coping With the Death of a Companion Animal
 Many people feel their pet is their friend or child or protector or companion, forming a deep and loving bond, and are overwhelmed by the intensity and duration of their grief when their pet dies. The death of a pet is sometimes accompanied by guilt, anger or a continual replay of their pet's final illness and it is not unusual for people to feel that if only they had done something differently, their pet may have lived longer. The decision to allow euthanasia for a dying pet may also cause emotional difficulties, even when there is no hope of recovery.
Not everyone experiences profound grief or anger when their pet dies, but many people do. While human loss is marked by a solemn religious ceremony, expressions of sympathy, burial and a period of mourning for the immediate family, the death of a pet is often seen as a minor event by one's community. It is not unusual for people to be at work the next day because the death of a beloved pet may not be an adequate reason for a day or two off.
Grieving pet owners may receive all sorts of unsolicited advice: "You should get another dog or cat," or "It was just a dog (or cat), "or "Get over it already." Many people say "I can't eat, I can't sleep, I can't stop crying.. .what is wrong with me?" They don't want another dog or cat- they want the one they lost and they can't just "get over it." | 
