Posted on: January 12, 2007
Life After Fido
When is the right time to find a new friend after the death of a beloved pet? Take this quiz
By Darcel Rockett
CTW Features
Good grief does not just apply to a boy named Charlie Brown. It comes up when your beloved Snoopy or Fido pass from this mortal coil.
Take this quiz to compare how you fare in coping with the death of a pet and what experts suggest when it comes to moving on:
Upon the death of Nemo, which one do you do first?
A. Call the animal hospital for CPR instructions.
B. Take a sick day and lie in bed with the pet’s favorite toy.
C. Dispose of the body and talk to loved ones about your loss.
According to Erica Jewell, student director of the Companion Animal Related Emotions Pet Loss Helpline at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in Champaign, there is no typical or atypical way of dealing with the loss of a pet. “We get calls the day a pet is euthanized to months, even years, after the death – all seek help,” she says.
The pet has passed, what do you tell the children?
A. You tell them, he/she ran away.
B. Use this time to discuss the process of death and dying and conduct a burial in the backyard with eulogies.
C. Deliver a note from the pet saying they are enjoying the farm.
“We suggest always being honest with children,” Jewell says. “Let the child experience the euthanization or at least have them bury the pet in order to get the grief response down, as opposed to not experiencing it. Obviously, this depends on religion and the child’s age.” Drawing pictures of heaven to let them know it’s a nice place and keeping the lines of communication open are important too.
In a world full of non-animal people who see Rex’s death as not a big deal, how do you go about paying your respects?
A. Wear a T-shirt with his image on it to keep him close to your heart.
B. Hold a memorial with friends and their pets.
C. Get a new pet and give him the same name.
Jewell suggests that people deal with their grief actively. Planting a bush in the yard, so when it blooms you think of your pet; memorials with friends who have pets; and/or making a memory book with pictures of your pet helps. “The human/animal bond is special, and we recommend talking to people who understand pet loss through a grief counselor or a loss support group, like www.pet-loss.net.”
At what time do you feel it’s time to buy another pet?
A. Immediately
B. Few weeks
C. Few years
D. Never
The decision to connect with another animal is one left up to the individual person, says Jewell. “You have to work through the grief before you get another one.” And when you do, Jewell says it’s not good to get an animal that looks like your last one. While you might think it will replace the late one, it won’t because the two are completely different and they almost never act the same, so go for a different type, breed or color of pet.
