Early that same afternoon I was in a conversation with a wedding client, but not in the context of the upcoming wedding. This caring soul happens to be a death doula, and we were discussing how I respond to a couple’s loss in the context of a wedding ceremony. We were wrapping up, but then came, “What in general do you do with pet loss?”
The conversation just hours earlier was unavoidably fresh in my mind, and I shared it as part of my response. My client expressed sympathy on that traumatic experience and then shared a link to a company that provides “veterinary chaplaincy services support when you lose your pet.” That link went to a hurting person in South Florida even before the call was closed. So, a call for a rabbi went from a friend of a friend to a friend of a rabbi who spoke with a person seeking support. Then comes the best part, that a completely different type of conversation seemingly offhandedly yielded an unexpected, unknown, but certainly welcome source of support to that original caller in South Florida.
Pet loss can have huge emotional impacts on individuals and families. Today, the loss of a beloved pet of any type is appreciated in more compassionate ways by society than ever before. If you are struggling after the death of a dear pet, please seek the resources most appropriate for your needs. Pet cemeteries abound but be advised they are not necessarily less expensive because they are for pets. Private counseling with a grief therapist, pastoral counseling, spiritual responses for grief within and beyond faith groups are all options.