For the Love of Dogs: Dealing with the Death of a Pet

I’m a dog mom. For 10 years, my husband and I enjoyed the companionship of two Newfoundlands, named Zoot and Greta. We lost them both within a year of each other, and it took me another year before I was ready for another canine companion. But in 2011, we adopted Joplin, a boxer-mix. I love big dogs, but I still wasn’t ready for another Newfie as the loss I felt was deep and I felt like I would be trying to replace them.

When we felt it was time, we nervously went to check out the boxer puppies. I still wasn’t entirely sure I was ready. Of the puppies available, Joplin was the most curious about us. My husband and I took turns holding her. At one point he had her and she climbed out of his lap and back into my arms. That’s all it took. I was in love and she came home with us that day.

Boxers are high-energy, which I did know but was still completely unprepared for. With a lot of patience and training, she has turned out to be a sweet and cuddly social butterfly. She just turned five, and while she has slowed down some, she still runs around like a puppy. The welcome dance she does when we return home makes my heart sing.

Losing a pet is difficult. When we had to put our Newfies down, each time we chose to have a private memorial and cremation. We chose beautiful Cherrywood urns that hold a photo so we could keep them with us wherever we go. But there are many ways pet parents can keep a pet’s memory near.

• Cremation Jewelry is a popular way to remember a pet. A portion of the cremains can be placed in a locket or melted into hot glass and transformed into a unique piece of art that can be worn as a pendant, ring, or pin.
• Pet cremains or locks of fur can also be made into beautiful pieces of glass art.
• A living urn transforms the cremated remains into a tree.
• Pet urns and memorial boxes and markers are available in just about every material and design you can think of.

We all handle the loss of a pet in our own way. For me, it helped to focus on the positive memories and to develop a memorial to our pets. A tribute or reminder will actively help you access and concentrate on those happy memories. Creating such a tribute can be an effective tool to help cope with grief, and it will provide a loving reminder of that pet in the years to come.

Though difficult, it’s important to plan ahead for the care of your pet in the event of an emergency. My Life & Wishes has a dedicated section just for pets, so you can record all the important care information loved ones may need to know.

As I write this article, Joplin is busy letting me know that I’m not paying attention to her. The last couple of days have been busy, so we promised her a trip to the ice cream stand today. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her. She takes good care of us – makes us smile when we need cheering-up, keeps a watchful eye when we’re ill, snuggles close when we’re cold, and takes us for a walk when we’ve been sitting too long.

Pets are an important part of the family. While many of us will outlive our pets, this isn’t always the case. End-of-life planning involves deciding how valued belongings are cared for, including making plans for pet care.