Dogs are a part of our family. When we lose a dog, it is as if we have lost a member of the family. It is painful if your dog ran away, the dog passed away, or the dog got stolen. It is so painful it makes us think we could never survive.
Here is What to Say to Someone Who Is Grieving the Loss of Their Dog, and What Not To Say
“It was probably time for your dog to go.” By saying so you are minimizing the loss. Whether you feel it was time for the dog to go or not, this does not change what is happening to your family.
“You will get another dog.” While eventually many people do replace their pets, it is not fair to assume that they want to go through the pain of losing another pet. They may never want to go through that again.
“You will find another dog just as good as the one you lost.” This is a hurtful thing to say because you have no way of knowing whether or not they will find another pet as good as the one they have lost. Some people do experience a void that cannot be filled and they may not ever get another pet.
“It’s good that she is no longer suffering.” Even if you thought your dog was in pain before, their death still marks the end of life. It would have been better to say nothing so as not to add more hurt.
What Not to Say
“I know how you feel.” While this may be true, the speaker has no way of knowing exactly how it feels to lose a dog. We all have different connections with our pets and while one person’s loss may be great, another’s might not be as severe.
“Things are going to get better.” While people may hope that things will get better, they don’t always feel better right away. They just experienced a loss and they need time to grieve.
“I never liked your dog.” This is not the time for you to air your grievances about their pet. It does not make them feel any better when someone disparages the memory of their dog.
“I know how hard this is for you.” Everyone experiences grief differently, so it becomes difficult to know the right thing to say. If you have had a loss of a pet then your experience may be similar and therefore you can share that with them.
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