For anyone grieving the death of a pet, the pain can be overwhelming. Many pet owners view their companions as much more than an animal — to them, they’re members of the family. Losing your best friend is heart-breaking and can leave behind a profound sense of emptiness and loss.

Each person deals with grief differently. Some people find it hard to express their feelings because not everyone around them understands the gravity of the loss, especially if they’ve never had a pet of their own.

People who are not pet lovers don’t understand what the big deal is, and if someone has never experienced this kind of relationship, they genuinely don’t know how important it is to those of us who have.

Finding someone to communicate with can make such a difference.

In our time of sadness, what we hope for is someone who is compassionate, even if that person lacks the understanding of why we are grieving. But it is sometimes difficult to find that support.

It’s important to understand you don’t need to grieve alone. The most important thing you can get out of a group is the sense that there is nothing wrong with you for feeling the way you do.

Just how long grief lasts varies for everyone. For some, bringing a new pet into the home sooner rather than later can help ease the pain. For others, it takes longer to open up their hearts and home again. Some people consider fostering a pet.

Just remember, it’s completely natural to mourn the loss of your pet, and you’re never alone in your grief. We understand.