Like a Member of the Family: Dealing with Pet Loss

Pets can become more than just a familiar animal around the house, they can become like another member of the family. For an adult the loss of a pet may be just part of the process, as emotional as it still remains. Still, there are other members of the family that pet loss can be hard for. Children often times have their first experiences with death after losing a beloved pet, and, sometimes surprisingly to most people, many pets who live together think of one another as family, and the death of one pet can actually cause extreme grief in the other.

Since many children first experience death with pets, it is very important to handle this situation carefully. Many people don