by Terence P Ward

Created on: January 19, 2007   Last Updated: May 02, 2007

Anyone who has shared their life with a dog understands that the emotional bond is as strong as that with a person, and addressing the loss of a dog is just as important.

"Loss" can be literal or figurative. Dogs can be given away for a number of reasons, die by accident or disease, or live their lives out fully in your company. These four forms of loss all share the element of grief.

My own dog ran away several times over the course of his life, and once he was unable to find his way home without help. I still think of the boy who brought him back to us fondly . . . Plato, our dog, really hated small children; the fact that he allowed one to read his tags for our address amazes me to this day. Had he never returned, I am sure that the pain would have taken a long, long time to heal. My siblings and I would not have easily given up hope that he would return home, so we would put off the healing for the sake of that hope. In that worst-case scenario I'm sure people would have been sympathetic, at least for a day or two.

We got our dog Plato six months into his life, because he was being given away by his present family. I don't know why they chose that name, but I do know that they were having trouble training him which was why he was offered up free in the paper. Those kids didn't want to part with him and obviously loved that puppy. They came to visit him once, I remember, a few weeks after we brought him home. This must be better than a literal loss, because (hopefully) you at least know where the dog is, and that it is well. However, giving away a dog doesn't sound (particularly to the non-animal person) as bad as literally losing a dog, so I would not expect much more than an "I'm sorry," followed by the full expectation that the matter was now closed to further discussion.

Most people are more supportive when your dog dies. If this is not the case, consider getting new friends. Premature death, due to accident or sudden disease, is no less jarring than having the same thing happen to a human companion. Having a funeral or memorial service is completely appropriate and not seen as peculiar by most people. Again, however, be prepared for your friends to expect you to move on sooner than you are ready, and pull their support a bit sooner than you would prefer as a result.

Plato lived a long, happy life for a dog of his size and breed. We watched him get older and more tired, so it really wasn't a surprise when he stopped eating and walking one day. He and the

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