by Amanda Mcknight

Created on: March 08, 2007   Last Updated: May 05, 2007

Four months after moving to a different country, word came from home that my beloved labrador retriever, Hershey, had died. I grew up with Hershey and was accustomed to her always being around. The loss cut deeply; people may say she was only a pet, but I felt much more than that.

About a year later, a dear little lost puppy strayed into the compound where my family and I lived. She was a darling little thing, and we quickly named her Poppy. Poppy adored us; she went swimming with us in the ocean, tried to follow us everywhere we went, and whined and cried when we were away. However, about five months after finding Poppy, she died of poisoning. Dog poisoning is quite common in that area, since there are many stray dogs wandering around. I never imagined that it would happen to Poppy, though. My brother held her in his arms as she slowly died a painful death- it was definitely the most gruesome animal death I had ever witnessed, which only added to the pain of losing Poppy.

Dogs have a subtle way of becoming members of the family, and when the dog dies, it truly feels as though a member of the family has died. I am not a crazy person who is completely obsessed with dogs, but I was honestly grieving after the loss of both Hershey and Poppy. They were part of the family, and I missed them.

How to cope with losses like that? There is nothing wrong with grieving for a lost pet, and that should be the first step in overcoming the loss. Remembering the good times and reminiscing on the humourous moments is completely essential after a family pet has died. It would be a shame to simply try to forget their memory all-together.

Eventually, after the pain has worn away somewhat, I would highly suggest buying another puppy. A couple months ago, I got a lab-husky mix puppy, and she is the smartest, most active, and most lovable puppy I've ever had. I still love the the memories of Hershey and Poppy, but now I have the reality of another puppy- Coco. I honestly believe this is the greatest step in coping with the loss of a dog. Of course, it takes some time to work up the will to buy another dog, but the rewards are endless when one does.

So, I hope that those who have lost a beloved dog may once again find joy in another puppy. Never try to forget the memory of the lost dog, but don't dwell on it either. In my opinion, dogs are one of the greatest gifts God has given to mankind- a gift we should be eternally grateful for. This is life! Let's make the most of it, whether we're dealing with dogs or people!

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