Goodbye My Friend. About Dog Bereavement

Goodbye My Friend….A Chat about Dog Bereavement

Dog bereavement is a raw and painful loss. In this post I write about my own feelings after losing my beloved Alfie, very suddenly. At the bottom of the post is a poem I wrote dedicated to Alfie. It’s called Goodbye My Friend, I hope you like it.

Some of my friends have lost their beloved dogs lately and it’s hard to know what to say to them. As I’ve said before I lost my Alfie back in April and there is still great pain there for me. At the time no-one could console me, the grief was all consuming and no words would help.

Some people said “at least he didn’t suffer”, this wasn’t helpful to me .I selfishly wanted him back, he left a massive void in my life, I was angry that he had been taken from me. My emotions were irrational, spiteful and selfish, so words of comfort said with good intentions, only made things worse. I wasn’t ready to be comforted, the only thing I wanted was the one thing I couldn’t have.

I was wondering how other people deal with the loss of a pet. Everyone is different and everyone reacts differently to grief so there is no right or wrong way. You just have to get through it somehow and the pain reduces gradually.

Some people immediately go out and get another dog, maybe a rescue or a puppy. I understand this completely, it would put a sticking plaster over the wound, exchange sorrow for elation, but underneath that plaster is the wound healing? I’m open to another dog but he or she hasn’t found me yet. When the day comes…..I will know!

This is a poem I wrote for Alfie, it helped me at the time and there is a permanent reminder that he existed and was loved.

Good bye, my friend, the time has come

To hang up your collar, your work here is done

The kindest soul, the warmest heart

The sweetest dog to ever depart

Your little soul mate looks so sad

She’ll never forget the love you had

That tiny puppy you taught to play

She’d nip your tail, then run away

When days were dark, with sadness and pain

You gave me a reason to rise again

And now, too soon, it’s come to an end

And your work is needed in heaven, my friend

They need an angel to stand at the gate

to welcome the others, who’d wait and wait

for their family to join them, so alone and so sad

You’ll comfort their sorrow

and soothe the pain that they had.

So, for now, I bid you goodbye

My angel in heaven, a new star in the sky.

Three years ago I fostered a little chihuahua called Harvey, who was terminally ill, through neglect. His owner, a breeder, wasn’t willing to pay for vet advice or medication, so his heart condition became incurable at just seven years old. He was with me for five months and died in my arms.

 

 

In this case, it was really important to me that this dog was remembered and that he knew love in his life. I bought a rose bush in his memory that blooms each year at the same time as Harvey died. The rose bush is now thriving and will always be Harvey’s rose.

 

 

So every bereavement is different, we just have to deal with the pain in a way that feels right for us. Some people get comfort from having the dog’s ashes close by or they give them a proper farewell in a special place.

I don’t have any words for anyone who is feeling this loss and wondered if anyone had any advice about what to say?

Also, how did you cope and what did you want from people at the time?

Were your emotions irrational and out of character like mine?

Additional Reading

What To Say When A Family Dog Has Died

 

24 thoughts on “Goodbye My Friend. About Dog Bereavement

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  1. This is such a touching post. The poem you wrote is beautiful too. I’m sorry to hear about Alfie and Harvey. Mourning pets to me is no different than mourning family and loved ones. I think it takes time. I recently read a book by Bernard Jan about his cat Marcel. Marcel died years ago and Bernard never owned another pet again all this time. He was unsure about ever owning another pet. When I asked him if he had any advice for people who were mourning the loss of pets he said this,

    -It is really hard to give any advice to someone who is going through such raw and brutal pain. I didn’t cope well with losing Marcel, my eyes still water each time I think of him. I can’t say I completely let him go. But I am also not letting go of hope and belief that there is some logic behind that meaningless death and dying. That there is a kinder place, time, dimension or what not, full of calmness, love and forgiving that awaits us when we step into it after our beloved departed ones. I am holding on to that thought. And the love I had. Hold on to your love and never let it go.-

    I don’t like to think about losing my pups, but after also learning about Rainbow Bridge from Luis Carlos Montalvan, I hope that it’s real and that we meet our pets again.

    Hugs <3

    1. Thank you so much and Bernard’s words are so comforting. We have to believe in Rainbow Bridge, what a party that will be. It’s lovely of you to take the time to send this and it means a lot xx

  2. I’m where you are. Butterfly died in July and it’s still hard for me to believe that she’s gone. I made a point of reaching out to blogville right away because I knew that this is where I’d find comfort. Nothing fills the void she left behind, but knowing that I’m surrounded (virtually) by people who understand, really helps.

  3. I was 40 when I got my first dog and remember dad telling me I should only get one if I was able too make the tough decisions that are sometimes needed. 6 years later I had to make the hardest of all when he was seriously ill with heart failure and ready to go. It was the hardest and most upsetting task but I did it for him. He left a massive hole in my life but so many memories and photos. It took several years before I was ready for another and then got 2. Now they are gone from my life I have more memories and photos and 3 more dog shaped holes in my heart. But I’d rather have the pain if losing them than never to have had them at all.

  4. Very touching post and poem! I am so sorry for your loss! I have no idea how I am going to feel in a few years when my it is time for my oldest to go. I know I am going to be heartbroken, but I know I will not let any of my fur kids suffer and I would not trade the time I have with them for anything! <3

  5. What a wonderful poem you wrote for your doggy friend – so touching! Two days ago I said goodbye to my friend of 18 years – Sooty, my cat. The feeling of loss is overwhelming – the house is so empty without him… I’ve buried him in the garden and have bought a small pet memorial stone for him. I’ve also written short poems about him on my blog because writing eases the pain. When people scoff, “just a dog” or “just a cat”, *I* think that 18 years is a longer relationship than many marriages!

    1. Oh. I’m so sorry for your loss. 18 years is a long time you must feel completely lost. I found writing helped me, the poem was written when I was feeling like you are now. Six months later it still hurts, but it has become bearable. Sooty was very lucky to have you x

  6. Dearest Friends… My name is NT Marge and I was moved to tears by your loss of your Beloved Pets. I still cannot hold back tears missing all of my loves that have crossed Rainbow Bridge. Thank you for sharing.. you have helped me very much.🤗💖🌺🌺💅🐾🐾

  7. great post. My Sally is 13 and every day has been getting harder for her to walk, and get around. I know the end is coming and it makes me break down just thinking about it. I a so lucky to have 13 years with her and maybe I’ll get one or two more. But the thought of losing her right now is so painful, I cant imagine how Ill ever get over it when she actually does past. I hope writing a blog post helped you with that, I am planning to do the same one day when she leaves me.

  8. Thank you very much for this, Louise. We lost Spike at age 16 last November, and the emptiness is still raw and palpable. Prior to Spike, we had Lady for 18 years; prior to Lady was Scamp, who was a rescue from a breeder. We are petless now for the first time in decades, but I simply don’t know if I can handle the loss again – perhaps in a few years the right pet will find us … . I always plant a tree on the gravesites of our smallest family members, with a small memorial above, and I look forward to being reunited with them again. Again, thank you for sharing, and I hope you are continuing to work through this day by day, remembering the enjoyment they gave you.

    1. Hi Nick, its such a raw pain isn’t it? but it sounds like you gave your dogs wonderful lives and they do have a way of finding us when we least expect it! I found Christmas hard without Alfie but my daughter just had a puppy so he keeps me entertained. I also have Holly who is 14 and a very naughty rescue dachshund who keeps me very busy!

      1. My bride and I still have “Spike Moments” almost every day. They really do crawl deep into one’s soul!

  9. Toy, the most Amazon 15 y/o shitzu, passed a week ago, this day. We are heartbroken, and yes, I feel lost, angry, sad, all of what you say.

    It is too son for me, but Toy keeps taking me to your blog and poem. Thank you for creating it.

    He is giving signals of him being at peace and well, and I still have Tito, our other doggy, to keep going. It is just too soon… I miss Toy so much.

    This content and comments are healing psalm though. Thank you.

    1. Bless you for your kind words. It’s so important to talk about your loss and you will never be judged here because we know how raw the pain is .This time of year grief is magnified and it has only been a week so don’t be too hard on yoursellf. The Rainbow Bridge poem is very comforting too. Take care and give Tito a hug from me. Fly high with the angels Toy.

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