It’s difficult to deal with a pet’s death, no matter if you’ve had them for a month, a decade, or more. We had the pleasure of living with our adopted shih tzu, Flower, for almost eight years. Flower walked out of our arms and over the Rainbow Bridge eight days ago. The above is a picture taken three years ago of her walking over a bridge in our backyard.
Flower brought us so much joy. She was the firecracker of the bunch, our only dog who chased squirrels, our only dog who climbed the tiers in the backyard to escape into the yard behind us, the dog who huffed at me when I yelled at my computer, the dog who barked to signal the arrival of the mailman, the only dog who wiggled with joy when we reached for the drawer where we kept her harness, and the dog who sat between us in the front seat on the way to the park, barely able to contain her excitement about the upcoming walk.
She was our beautiful Flower, and there will never be another dog like her. Our four dogs all filled a unique spot in our home, and her spot will now remain empty, causing a hole in our house and in our hearts. I don’t know how we’ll manage to walk the other dogs without her, but I know we’ll get through this, and there will eventually be a new normal we will have to accept.
We were blindsided by her death on June 2, and we are valiantly trying to hold it together for ourselves and our other three dogs, Dottie, Nigel, and Candy. We have prayed, reached out to friends, talked and talked and talked about this beautiful little furbaby who energized us. We have cried and cried some more.
During the last week, I looked up and read as many articles as I could on coping with grief, and it’s ugly companion, guilt. I hope that some of these links might help others who are going through the same situation and facing the future without their beloved pet.
If you have anything that helped you cope with your precious pet’s death, please share with me and our readers. My heart goes out to anyone who has gone through, is going through, or will go through the sorrow we are feeling over our beloved Flower.
I hope these links will help:
5 Ways to Heal When Grieving the Loss of a Pet
6 Stages of Pet Grief and How to Move Through Them
7 Ways to Cope With the Loss of a Pet
A Pet’s Death Can Hurt More Than Losing a Fellow Human
Comforting Prayers for the Loss of a Beloved Dog or Cat
Coping With an Empty Home When You Miss Your Best Friend
Coping With The Death of Your Pet
Coping With The Loss of A Fur Baby: Pet Grieving Support Group
Coping With Your Pet’s Death: An Important Guide
Dealing With Guilt After Pet Loss
Four Steps To Take After Experiencing Pet Loss
Grieving for the Loss of a Pet: Pet Loss Quotes
How to Cope With The Loss of a Loved Pet
How to Deal With Guilt After the Loss of Your Dog
How to Deal With Guilty Feelings After Your Dog’s Death
How to Deal With the Death of Your Dog
How To Mindfully Grieve The Death Of A Pet
I Miss My Dog: Has Grief for a Dog Who Died Ever Overwhelmed You?
The Double Whammy of Death and Guilt
My Died Died and I Can’t Get Over It
My Pet Died and I think It’s My Fault
On Grieving a Dog You Rescued
Things I Wish I Had Known When My Dog Died
Understanding and Coping With The Loss of a Pet
What To Say To Someone Grieving The Loss of a Pet
Why Losing a Dog Can Be Harder Than Losing a Relative
Why The Loss of Your Pet Could Be The Hardest to Bear
Why Can’t I Get Over My Dog’s Death?
Why Your Dog’s Death May Be The Most Difficult Event Of Your Life
You’re Not Crazy, You’re Mourning: Grief from the Loss of Your Dog