Grieving the loss of a pet
Pets become a part of our families so losing them can be difficult. Since most people become attached to their pets, it’s like losing a member of the family.
“You grieve the loss of a pet like you would a loved one. Your house seems empty. If you have other pets too, they react to it. You can sense they feel sad, it’s something missing,” says Eric Pettingill, licensed therapist.
A loss that Phil Campbell is familiar with. He lost his dog, Stormy, in an accident.
“I had this arcade basketball game in my basement. Somehow the side of the net that keeps the balls from going all over the basement, she fell and her collar got stuck. So I came in and found her immediately. She was just hanging there, lifeless. I just held her, ‘Why stormy, why Stormy’ and just sobbing,” says Campbell.
Campbell says he’s been going through the stages of grief.
“You try to figure out why this happened. I think that was my first response. Was there anything that I could have done differently? And I’ve gone through that scenario many times and I don’t think there’s anything I could have done differently. Yet I still will wake up in the middle of the night in a panic of finding her like that and I know there’s nothing I could have done.”
Therapists say it’s important to reach out to friends and not go through this alone.
“I think he called me because he knows that I have dealt with loss as well. And sometimes you have to find someone with empathy to help you get through these tough times,” says Samantha Williams, a friend of Phil’s.
And in some cases, like this one, it’s more than just a pet.
“I have met a lot of people who say ‘It’s just an animal, it’s just a dog,’ but if you take this one situation with Phil where they could not have children, these are his babies,” says Williams.
It’s important for friends and family to be supportive and understanding.
“True family and friends will reach out to you anyway. Don’t go through this alone, I know it’s been a huge help for me and my family,” says Campbell.
