Losing Your Pet    

Losing someone you care for, especially someone who's lived with you, day and night, for years, is difficult. Dealing with the understandable grief of such a loss can be even worse.

That applies as much if your loss is a beloved pet as it does if you've lost a person. The existence of euthanasia in veterinary medicine adds complexity to dealing with that loss. Being able to ease suffering can be an enormous blessing. Handling the guilt of making such a decision is not.

One thing that can help is talking to someone who understands. While we at Grove Center are always available for that purpose, we've attached a link to a website called Rainbow Bridge.

Rainbows Bridge is a grief support center for people who've lost their pets. You will be able to talk with others who have and are at present going through the same thing you are. There is also a separate section for helping your children cope with their loss, as well as a special way to memorialize your pet.

Finally, in October of 2012, the Gaithersburg/Germantown Gazette published an article entitled  Facing Pet Death. There are others who've gone through what you are going through now, and who care.