Your pet has just died. You find yourself alternating between the numb disbelief that they're gone and the gut-wrenching reality that they're not coming back. You keep wishing you'd had just one more day with them, while realizing deep down that an eternity with them wouldn't have been enough. You've cried until you can't cry anymore, or maybe it hurts too bad to cry at all. You feel sick to your stomach with grief. The world as you know it has come to a screeching halt while still continuing to spin for everyone else around you. Sound familiar? We've been there, and we can help you get through this.

There are many different reasons why losing a pet is so intensely painful, possibly even more painful than the loss of a human relative. One of these reasons is the same thing that makes having a pet so rewarding......the unconditional love that only animals are capable of. When that unconditional love is taken away, it can leave us feeling empty and hollow inside, as though a huge part of us is missing. A lot of us also see our pets as “the person we wish we could be”, an embodiment of all of the positive qualities we strive to achieve every day. Therefore, many see the deaths of their pets as the death of a part of themselves. And then there are the obvious reasons…..we just lost our best friend, our confidant, our shoulder to cry on, our brother or sister, and possibly even our child. The pain is intense and can be overwhelming.  

Animals at Heart has put together this section of the website to help pet owners through the uncertain, confusing, and painful experience of losing a pet. We start with the beginning of the end in our discussion of the Euthanization process, for those that are faced with the possibility of having to have their pets euthanized. From there we move on to the Aftercare page where we discuss your options of what to do with your pet's remains. Finally, we'll help you cope with your loss by educating you about grief and its stages as well as providing you with valuable coping mechanisms to help get you through.

Finally, we encourage you to read the story of the Rainbow Bridge, which can be very comforting in dealing with your grief.

Our hearts go out to you in your grief, and we hope that you will find in us the support you need to get you through.

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