Yes It's True - Losing A Dog Is Just As Painful As Losing A Family Member

Those who have never owned pets often feel like the loss of a dog shouldn’t be painful. But dog parents know better. Losing a dog can be such a harrowing and heartbreaking experience – but have you ever thought about why?

Research indicates that people often feel more strong negative emotions when losing a pet as compared to when they lose a human family member or friend. This intense pain is 100% real, but society doesn’t really validate it.

But that may be part of the problem! There are plenty of ways to find closure for people who have passed away through eulogies, special funerals, and other heartfelt, sweet methods. Meanwhile, we aren’t encouraged nearly as much to mourn the loss of our pets, and instead, this tragedy is treated like something easy to get over. This lack of acknowledgment can make it more difficult to move on.

Losing a pet also changes your daily routine. You don’t get woken up by their antics in the morning. You don’t take anyone out for a walk. You don’t get greeted when you come home from a long day. All of this can really take its toll on a grieving dog parent.

It’s also no secret that many people think of their dogs as human family members. In fact, many humans “misname” their dogs, meaning they accidentally call people in their lives by the names of their pets sometimes. This indicates even more that we think of dogs as equals, within the same group as family.

You should never feel ashamed of your grief for your lost dog. You’re losing a loving companion who loved you unconditionally. You have every right to take your time to process the difficult loss. Don’t let anyone make you feel otherwise!

Feature Image Source: Pixabay