By: Anuradha
“Sometimes losing a pet is more painful than losing a human because, in the case of the pet, you were not pretending to love it” – Amy Sedaris.
One of the hardest feelings that we face in life is coping with the death of a loved one. The pain and the sense of loneliness that we fee; can hardly be expressed by words and if you are someone who has undergone such a situation, you will know how hard it is. But, humans love not only their fellow humans but also their pets and many other things and recent research found out that losing a dog can be as hard as losing a loved one.
A pet isn’t just an animal but a part of our life. It is another member of your family and a lifetime companion. Especially, the bond between dogs and their owners is so deep and touching and that is why every dog owner need time to grieve and process the loss of their beloved pet. Everyone around them will ask them to get over the pain but that will only make the situation worse.
However, science has proved now that grieving over the loss of a much-loved dog is not unusual and that it is a valid feeling. In fact, the research says that overcoming the death of a passed pet can sometimes be harder than overcoming the death of a human and here are the reasons why it can be that hard:
1. Bonding.
According to the Official Journal of the Human Behaviour and Evolution Study, we make special bonds with our pets which are very much similar to the bonds that we make with humans. Our brain and body react in the same way to these bonds and they register all these bonds in equal scale.
The same hormones are produced inside your body when you are in an attachment with your dog and that is why you always feel your dog be like your family. So, in case of a death, you are reacting in the same way that you would react to the death of someone that you have been connected with.
2. Grieving.
When someone who is closed to us passed away, we have the support of everyone around us to pass over the grief. We sometimes go for counseling, have the support of family and friends and with time we become able to accept the truth and adjust to life. But when a pet dies, we do not take the same space to express our grief and we are expected to passes away from grief as soon as possible. Most people do not see the loss of a pet as something worth grieving over and therefore, it becomes additionally hard for you to reconcile a pet’s passing away.
3. Love and comfort.
When you lose your dog, it is not just losing your pet. It is the loss of your best friend, your playmate, your bedfellow and your companion. That is a lot to lose in one go and that can be a tough feeling after all.
4. Memories and routines.
You have many memories with your dog which might be truly hard to forget.
– You will no longer have to feed your pup or take them out.
– You will no longer hear them running all around your garden.
– Your daily schedule with your dog will no longer be valid and you will be left with the feelings of emptiness.
5. Guilt.
Sometimes, your dog might have faced some disease and you might be the one who has decided to put him to sleep. Even though it was good for the dog, you will always drive away by the feeling of guilt and you will feel like you could have done something even though you did everything that you could do.
However, no matter how hard it is, you will be able to face the fact with time. just keep your head high and only concentrate on the idea that you gave him a good time in the most possible way.