Coping with The Loss of a Pet

Margot Ahlquist- PAWS to Talk

Losing a family pet is really like losing a family member, your pets are your family, said our guest on PAWsitive Radio, Margot Ahlquist.

Loss is part of loving.

The loss of a family pet is often the first experience with death that children deal with. Each family member will grieve in his or her own way.  Margot suggested that it is important to allow yourself time to grieve.

When our Toby Sr. passed away, the loss was a significant one. Losing our best friend, family member and my greatest teacher took a long time to move through. Part of our coping process was putting together a photo album, and a video capturing what a legacy Toby left.  You can watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD81iQJDp0s

Remembering Toby....

 1 1/2 years later our hearts were ready to adopt a new furry family member. Our new four legged family member chose us.... funny how they do that. He was 11 months old, and being surrendered by his pet parents. We adopted Toby Jr. (TJ) in June 2013, he has his own personality, fun little quirks, and is leaving pawprints on our hearts.

TJ- Toby Jr.  on his first birthday. Look at that smile!

Margot provided some other tips to help families cope with the loss of a pet;
- Give yourself time and space to grieve
- Seek support from others who understand
- Talk it out
- Read books
- There are pet support groups
- Be a part of a pet community (e.g. social media)

You can listen to additional tips from Margot here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/teamtoby/2013/09/25/coping-with-the-loss-of-a-pet