Coping with the loss of a pet

The loss of a pet can be a devastating experience in any pet owner's life, and the emptiness one can feel in their heart and home can become overwhelming.

Here are eight ways to honor your pet and help you to cope with the loss.

-- Hold a Memorial Service: Just like memorial services for our friends and family who have passed away, holding one for your pets can be a great way to say goodbye. By inviting family members, friends, and others who knew your pet, you can remember the good times you shared together and also realize that you are not going through this alone.
-- Create a Memorial Spot: Whether it's a gravestone or a tree you planted, creating a pet memorial spot where you can sit quietly and remember your pet can be a soothing means to honor the memory of your pet.
-- Utilize Online Memorials: Even if the people around you do not quite understand how you feel, there are millions of pet owners out there in the world who have suffered through the loss of a pet. Find an online site where you and others can share stories of your pets and help each other work through the grief you are experiencing.

-- Create a Scrapbook: Making a scrapbook is an excellent way to help remember your pet, as well as celebrate his or her life. Whether you incorporate pictures of your pet's greatest accomplishments, or just pictures of you and your pet on vacation, remembering the good times you had with him or her can help make you feel better.
-- Keep a Symbol: Whether it's your pet's collar or favorite toy, having an object that was his or hers is a little way of reminding you of the happiness they brought to your life. Whether you keep that object in your car, on a book shelf, or wherever else you feel is a nice reminder of his or her life, you can always remember the great times you shared together.
-- Donate: Making donations in your pet's name to a local shelter, a national organization, or the dog park you used to frequent is an excellent way to not only honor the memory of your pet, but also help support other animals in need.
-- Volunteer: If you do not feel ready to make the commitment to bring another pet into your life yet, volunteering at a local shelter or humane society is an excellent way to start the process and honor your pet. Volunteers are the people who take care of your pets before they are yours, and if you adopted your pet who has passed away, volunteering is a great way to pass the favor on to others.

"Revolving Pet Memorial Box in Mahogany"

-- Adopt Again: Once you feel ready, adopt another pet. Nothing can replace the loss of your pet, and adopting another will not be a disservice to your previous pet's memory. Through adoption, you will be offering another animal the same chance at the wonderful and happy life you were able to give your previous pet.
source petMD.com
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