How do you honor a dog that passed away?

Memorializing Your Dog In addition to seeking support, there are easy ways you can honor your beloved pet’s memory. Commemorate his life: One of the best ways to find closure is to hold a memorial service.

How can I cope with the loss of my Pet?

While grief is a personal experience, you need not face your loss alone. Many forms of support are available, including pet-bereavement counseling services, pet-loss support hotlines, local or online pet-bereavement groups, books, videos, and magazine articles. Here are a few suggestions to help you cope:

How to help a child grieve the loss of a pet?

Helping children grieve the loss of a pet. The loss of a pet may be your child’s first experience of death—and your first opportunity to teach them about coping with the grief and pain that inevitably accompanies the joy of loving another living creature. Losing a pet can be a traumatic experience for any child.

What happens to a dog when their friend dies?

Surviving pets may whimper, refuse to eat or drink, and suffer lethargy, especially if they had a close bond with the deceased pet. Even if they were not the best of friends, the changing circumstances and your emotional state may distress them.

Memorials, rituals, and tributes are great ways to honor your dog and work through your grief. Put together a photo album or scrapbook, journal about your dog, write poetry and songs, create a memory garden.

What did it feel like when my German Shepherd died?

When my German Shepherd, Hugo, died, it felt like a part of me had been clawed out and torn away. I talked to a pet-loss expert — here’s what she said. As I buried my face in his thick, furry neck, I felt my dog take his very last breath. Hugo, my beautiful 14-year-old German Shepherd, was gone.

Is it normal to feel guilty after the death of a dog?

We are all fallible humans, and do the best we can to get through our lives. Some people can feel relief with the death of their dog after a long illness, and experience guilt because of this. Again, this is perfectly normal. Some people feel guilt if they think they are grieving more for a loved dog than for a human they have lost.

What happened to the Good Feeling you had with your dog?

You may have lost the good feeling you had when your dog put his head on your lap, or when he wagged his tail at the sound of your voice. The laughter that came when he did something silly, and the assistance you received when weeding the garden. The warm feeling when you arrived home to find him waiting at the door to welcome you.