Pet Loss: A Death in the Family

The first time I read this book was on an airplane on my way back to college from home. I could not help but cry the entire time I read this book. I had lost a pet when I was young and not fully aware of all that comes with death, but just the thought of losing my dog or cat made tears come falling down my face. It also helped me to understand, in that unfortunate case, how to deal with my pet dying and that there are many people who feel the same way about their pets as I do. I loved the book and recommend it to anyone who loves pets and has pets of their own.

Pet loss for many of us has been a constant in our lives because we have had pets all our lives. I remember seeing my first pet run over by a car when I was too young to know what had happened. Then a pre-teen loss that made it impossible to go to school for a week. And on and on until last fall we had to have our 15-year-old schnauzer euthanized because her liver cancer had metastasized throughout her body. These losses are always a shock, maybe even more so when necessity forces unhappy choices on us. We may feel we are ready, but the shock of the event itself tells us otherwise. We may deal well with our own grief, but what are we to do when children close to us face the difficulty for the first time? "Pet Loss: A Death in the Family" is an enormous help in all these situations. It is a clear and insightful discussion of the nature of grief and its impact on families. It does not stop there; it goes on to detailed, concrete examples of steps individuals and families can take to mitigate the finality of loss. The book is insightful and empathetic without being maudlin because it is exceptionally well written in clear direct language without descending into useless euphemism. This selfless writing is an additional gift that makes the volume particularly attractive. Our gratitude to all involved.

There are many books that deal with this subject. This one seemed to have a view of my heart! There are many stories that relate to the lost of a pet companion but the stories and wisdom in this little book seemed to have direct pipeline to my feelings. A little gem of a book!

This book is a must-read for anyone who is dealing with the loss of a family "pet". I read this book following the traumatic loss of my dog and it was truly comforting.