Grieving And Coping With The Loss of Your Dog

As They Cross Over the Rainbow Bridge

Mary & Maggie

It’s pretty amazing how we get so intertwined and connected with our dogs…Some may not understand the relationships that develop, but if you’re a dog owner, you know the place your pup holds in your heart.

It occurred to me a short while ago how many wonderful dogs that have become our friends at BowWow Fune Towne have crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. So I posted on Facebook some of the fun pictures we had taken of them, and I’d like to post some of them here also.

It also occurred to me, as I just had my

Alice

Maggie make that journey a short time ago, how difficult it is to cope with that loss, and how we all grieve differently…so I thought I would like to offer a few ideas that might help your grieving process.

Coping with the grief…

• The first thing you can do for yourself is remember, not everyone has lost a beloved dog, so allow yourself to grieve, even though there may be those who don’t understand how you feel and may try to tell you that he/she was just a pet, so you should move on.
• 

  Charlie

  It can be very helpful to visit with someone who has gone through what you’re going through.

• You may want to hold a funeral or memorial service for your “best friend”. It feels like closure when a human friend or family member passes…a time to begin moving forward.
  • You might want to consider a pet cemetary or scattering his ashes in a place he loved to run
• 

  Violet

  Create a remembrance such as:

  • Putting a photo album, shadow box or scrapbook together
  • Planting a special tree that you can watch grow in their honor, or buying or creating a garden stone that has his name on it.
  • Another nice idea is to use their food or water bowl as a planter in the garden.
  • Have a picture (photo) of your dog put on a blanket.
• You may want to consider adopting another dog…although if it’s too soon, if you’d just like to be around dogs, there might be some volunteer work you can do at a local shelter or rescue.
• 

  Charlie

  Some people name a star after their dog, or make a donation to an animal organization.

No matter how you grieve or try to cope, it’s not wrong.

Here is a link for a Free download of the poem Rainbow Bridge

At BowWow Fun Towne, dogs are our business, and our friends.

We are experts in dog day care – We are starting a Puppy Preschool…it will be great to enroll your pup! Our facility features a full size swimming pool for fun and exercise.

We take their safety seriously and are dedicated to assisting you and providing the best care for your dog while you’re away.

Contact us today

Luna

Kojak