Honor the memory of a pet who you miss and who remains in your thoughts and in your heart.
For many, losing a pet is a very upsetting and difficult experience. Much more than “just a pet,” many view their pets as a member of the family, and the grief we feel when they pass is a testament to the companionship, friendship, and joy, they bring to our lives and today is a day to celebrate their lives and memories
For anyone experiencing a recent pet, family member loss or having difficulty coping with loss, there is help and support available you do not have to cope with your grief alone.
As a trained pet bereavement support worker I know how difficult it can be to ask for help, “No one really understands” but we do, we have experienced your loss and your pain sharing loss with those who truly understand can bring comfort and lessen the feeling of being completely alone.
Sooner or later, every sitter (if they are in it for long enough) will experience losing a favourite animal. It’s really isn’t any different, or any easier, than losing a person we’re close to. Bill who like so many of us suffered grief at the loss of a pet he had cared for and truly bonded with shares his story …
Remembering Holly, my heart dog. Losing her began my THS journey, helped heal my heart and brought pet joy & love back into my life … 15 years on and I miss her everyday.
We lost Fuji (on the left) 5 weeks ago at the ripe old age of 20 and a half. Fripouille (top right) left us 6 years ago at 10 (kidney failure), way too soon. Although we’ve loved all our cats over the years, she really left her mark and her loss was the one that was the hardest. Her sister Cassiopée (bottom right) is still with us at 15.
Remembering Izzy in England, Alfie in New York & San Diego, Phoebe & Addie in Vegas & Bainbridge Island and Stella in LA.
We cared for each one multiple times and became lifelong friends with their human family members and when each pet sadly passed away we were all connected in a way that was as special and meaningful as when they were present in our lives … that’s what animals do.
We adopted Iggy in 2015. He was 13 years old and had been in the shelter for 3 months. He had extreme separation anxiety and ended up being the boss of us. He went to doggie daycare, the kids next door would come by and watch tv with him and we took him with us all the time. We were those people.
We still traveled and had sits through THS but we never joined as homeowners. I didn’t want to stress Iggy or a pet sitter with all of his issues. We paid a friend to take care of him when we were away.
We had to say goodbye to old man Iggy last summer. It was bittersweet but we knew he had a really good five years of being the boss of us!
Here’s remembering the lovely lovely Annie from a great sit near Battle (Kent). We walked for miles up across the High Weald and area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB). Lots of variety on the walks from a little village with no shops, an ancient church, a very infrequent bus service; and at 68 I am happy to say that I still enjoy hitch-hiking as you get to meet the locals and find out whats going on. Strangely there was an amazing music night at the local village hall and all the locals (abot 50) were there…I have been to alot of concerts and festivals over the years but the nights entertainment for £5 (with a bar) was outstanding…the things we stumble upon travelling with pet-sitting! While I was there the famous Herring Festival was on at Hastings and I went down to have some tasty grilled herrings, listen to some music, check out the beer tent (why not!) and walk down the shingle beach. Here also is Annie wearing the ‘cone of silence’ which I picked up from a vet in Battle as she started scratching on a growth on her neck which was very worrying and of course I got in touch with the HO. Sadly Annie passed away about six months later as the growth turned out to be a tumour. I have special memories of this great dog, the HOs, the house and the High Weald. RIP Annie.
@Angela_L@JackieX thank you for liking…a really lovely dog apart from the time she tried to get into a free range poultry farm…thats another story and I might even have written a poem for it! Will try to find it!
We get so attached to the pets we are entrusted with and share. They become like our very own and when they pass the sadness is very real … the animals are the reason we are here and why our community is so very special.
My journey with my dear sweet boy Rocko began over 7 years ago when I met him at an animal shelter. Although it can be said that I rescued him, the truth is–he rescued me. I had recently retired from the military and was dealing with Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)/depression. Rocko lifted my spirits, helped heal my soul, and brought me such joy and unconditional love. For a labrador retriever mix, he never liked getting wet. If it rained and he’d get wet, it was like tiny little needles coming down on his back and he would jump over puddles. If we went to a dog beach, he never got in the water and for the dogs that did get in the water, he would never let them get close to him. He loved chasing anything that moved or not moved so quickly–I never knew why he always found pleasure barking at turtles. He loved his toys, particularly, his tennis balls, loved long walks and always managed to find a stick to bait me into chasing him. He had a natural curiosity of the world and did not want to miss out on anything. We loved traveling in the car and exploring different places–our favorite had to have been traveling to Memphis, TN and exploring many hiking trails. I miss you “Sugarfoot” as I affectionately called you, I miss you everyday and have waves of tears for you, but it is mostly because of all the joy you brought to my life.
A beautiful tribute to a dear family member @anon49809275 thank you for sharing … some never get over the loss but we learn to cope, smiling through the tears and when the happy memories replace the sad ones find comfort in remembering the unconditional love and friendship we shared.
Hi @Angela_L Thank you Angela! Well said, I do find comfort in remembering all the beautiful moments shared and finding THS (or it found me) certainly has been a blessing in allowing me to continue my love for pets.