Grieving a Pet: How to Honor Big Love and Deep Loss in a World That Doesn’t Get It

Photo by Kindred Hues Photography on Unsplash

There’s a deep heartache that occurs when a beloved pet dies.

It’s not just the presence of an empty food bowl or the absence of pawsteps at your feet. It’s the disappearance of a daily companion, a quiet witness to your life, a heartbeat that moved beside yours for years—sometimes decades.

And yet, when we try to express the devastation of pet loss, the people around us often meet us with skepticism, discomfort, or even dismissal.

For instance:

“Wasn’t i...