Jan. 12, 2021
Let Us Grieve
More and more pet parents are dying from a broken heart or have serious medical issues (ex: a stroke) as a result of the passing of a beloved pet. Now a days our pets are considered more than ever as our fur children and soulmates. That is such a powerful deep bond and love we experience with our fur babies. But a lot of people in society just do not get it.
I think it is safe to say we have all have experienced “disenfranchised grief.” We are told “it is just a dog/cat.” "Get over it." Etc. It is infuriating. I have recently realized that people who say these harmful words have never experienced the great love of a pet. I almost feel sorry for them. However, this could cause a roadblock and limitations in us getting help for our grief. With the above viewpoint it causes us to have a rollercoaster of emotions. And they can hit all at once.
All we really need is someone to listen to us. To appreciate the priceless bond we shared with our fur baby. So to the outsiders, stop minimizing our feelings and stop interfering with our grieving. You are NOT helping, in fact you are making it worse! Let us grieve! There is NO timeframe! We have been left with enormous holes in our heart.
As we know the level of grief can and usually is greater than death of a human life. Another issue is that grief is very tricky to quantify. It is a very personal experience, and it can be harmful to compare grief of a pet to that of a human. Everyone grieves differently and at different levels of intensity. But here is point to it all: all your feelings are valid and deserving of recognition. Period.