The loss or death of a pet can be more troubling than most people realize.  Human beings are made to form deep attachments with others in their lives.  We generally think of attachments as being with humans, but people can form just as strong of an attachment with an animal or even an inanimate object.  Relationships with animals are usually more free from conflict than most human relationships, which is an element that can make the loss of a pet more difficult than most of us might expect.  Another reason the death of a pet can be so hard is that a pet’s life is usually much shorter than the pet parent’s life.  Many of us think of pets as our children and more than half of American adults are not married, so a pet may be a person’s most significant attachment.

One thing we know about grieving is that any loss can trigger unresolved feelings from previous losses.  When someone is grieving the loss of a pet, they may also be grieving the previous loss of a parent, child, friend or other pet.  So we should not be surprised if we are caught off-guard by the depth of our feelings when a pet dies.  The likelihood of these compounded griefs makes it important to consider getting professional help from a licensed counselor.