Veterinarians and mental health professionals
recognize and agree that there
is a legitimate grief response to animal loss, which is very similar in
nature
and sometimes as significant as the grief response to human death.
Children who
are grieving a pet’s death may be unable or unwilling to verbalize their
feelings. Bereaved adults may have lost a companion more constant and
significant than any human in their daily lives. Families have lost an
important
family member, and family life is often disrupted and changed. Too
often,
however, grief resulting from animal death is unrecognized or
unsanctioned by
society, and sometimes even by those closest to us .mcp test Sympathy and support
are
very often unavailable or not offered to bereaved pet owners, yet
understanding
is helpful in making a healthy recovery.

With the loss of an animal,
grief may last from a few days to a few years mcse 2003.
Still, one may encounter people who innocently hurt with their remarks
(“Just
get another...” or “It was just a dog/cat/horse.”). Sometimes owners are
ridiculed about the amount of time or money spent on treatment or
memorialization mcse 2008.