By restyourpaws | October 28, 2025
Grief And Coping With Pet Loss
Submitted by Rest Your Paws
For a PDF of this resource, click here.
The bond we share with our pets is unique to everyone.
The grief we feel after saying goodbye to a pet and how we navigate their loss is also very individual. There is no right or wrong way to grieve. Grief is complex; denial, guilt, anger, sadness, shock, and physical pain can all be felt and need to be worked through in order to move forward. It is important to accept that some people may experience all, or none of these emotions; it does not make their response to loss any less valid. Acknowledging the reality of a pet’s death can take time. Adjusting ourselves to the new normal and the absence of our companion is one of the hardest things we will ever go through. You may go back and forth between acceptance and denial, and this is okay. Coping with grief is not about rushing towards closure or ‘getting over’ your pet’s death. It is about learning to live with the sense of loss and working through your emotions in a healthy, functional way.
Reaching Out For Support
It is important to surround yourself with people that understand your grief journey. Some people won’t, and that’s okay, but these are not the people to seek out for support. Remember that if they didn’t understand the bond you had with your pet when they were alive, they are unlikely to understand the grief you feel at their loss. Find friends who will empathise, not judge.
There are plenty of online support groups designed to give you a safe space to share your story and the memories you have with your pet. Grief counsellors and pet loss support professionals can also help you process your grief and unburden yourself. If this is something you are interested in, please let us know and we will provide the details of specialised counsellors. You can also contact the Rest Your Paws team for further guidance or help.
Feelings Of Guilt
Guilt is a normal part of the grieving process. It’s only natural to look back and think about how you could’ve done things differently. It’s important to be kind to yourself and be realistic. The outcome is most often the same, regardless of what you’ve done. All you can do is learn from the experience and remind yourself that you did the best you could with the information you had at the time.
It is very normal to feel a sense of relief after saying the final goodbye to your pets. Subsequently, you may then experience guilt or shame in response to this relief. It’s natural to feel this way when you’re no longer agonizing over the decision of ‘when’ or watching them suffer. Be kind to yourself and remember that the sense of relief is normal and directed towards the anticipatory grief you’ve been feeling, as well as the ending of the illness or age-related change your pet experienced. It does not lessen the amount of love you have for your companion.
Some may feel that their grief and sense of loss are less valid because they are for an animal rather than a person. Do not underestimate the bond you had with your pet. They are beloved family members. There is no need to compare grief. Give yourself permission to grieve and navigate your journey through loss how you see fit. If you feel overwhelmed or unsure how to move forward, please reach out for support. Grief is grief and loss is loss, and no one should have to go through it alone.
For a PDF of this resource, click here.
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