Losing a pet is devastating. After having so many years with the pet, you lose a family member when the pet passes away. Some couples who are unable to have kids, or who choose not to have kids adopt pets and see them as their children. And some people who never settle down and get married adopt pets so they don’t feel alone. The loss of those fur babies is very devastating to families, couples, or singles. If you know of someone who recently lost a pet, they are grieving. You want to do what you can to help them and there are eight things you can do to do that.
Validate Their Immense Loss And Grief
Whenever anyone is openly grieving for the loss of their beloved pet, you don’t want to shrug it off and tell them to ‘get over it because it is was just a dog or a cat’. That pet was their family and for some people, that pet was everything to them. Instead, listen to them even if you don’t understand what it is like to lose a pet. Be there for them and validate them regardless of whether or not you understand.
Take A Photo Of The Pet And Family Before The Pet Is Put Down
If you have a friend or an extended family member that is getting ready to put their pet down, offer to take their picture together. Even if you are not a photographer, that does not even matter to the grieving family or pet-parent. It is the thought that means everything to them. Take photos for them before the sad day arrives so they have something to cherish.
Send Meals, Flowers, Or Candies
When someone passes away, their friends will send their families meals so they don’t need to worry about cooking. Do the same for grieving pet parent/s and families. You can also send them flowers and candies, as they will appreciate that you care.
Surprise The Grieving Pet Parent With An Engraved Necklace
You can always surprise the pet parent/s with an engraved necklace with the pet’s name on it. That will be appreciated more than you could imagine. There are plenty of shops that will do that, and there are plenty of Etsy stores that offer that service for an inexpensive price. All you need to do is look around.
Make An Ornament With The Pet’s Picture
If the grieving pet parent/s or families celebrate Christmas, why not surprise them with an ornament with the pet’s picture as there are companies that will make them as well. If they don’t celebrate Christmas, you can arrange to have a mug of the pet’s picture or a miniature statue of the pet. The sky is the limit.
Get A Stuffy That Looks Like A Pet
You can always get the grieving pet parent/s or family a stuffy that looks like the pet they lost and are grieving. They will appreciate that as well which they will likely put on display to commemorate their beloved pet.
Buy A Book About The Rainbow Bridge
Families and pet parent/s who lose their beloved pets want to know if their pets are free of pain and happy. Reassure them that they are by buying books about ‘dog heaven’ or ‘cat heaven’, and so on. There are plenty of books about that to choose from as it will be very comforting to those who lost their fur babies.
Allow The Ones Who Lost Their Beloved Pets To Grieve
Give them time to grieve for their deceased fur babies. Reassure them that you are there for them but also give them the space they need to process their grief. If they tell you they cannot see anyone at the raw moments after their pet’s death, respect that and give them the space they need to grieve.
Losing a pet is devastating and if you are unsure how to handle the news about a friend or extended family member’s pet’s death, those are the tips on how you can be there for them during their time of grief.
