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Losing a Pet Is as Painful as Losing a Human
I didn’t just lose a tiny, seven-pound chihuahua. I lost a family member.
“Hi, my dog died. Could I possibly have an extension on this assignment?”
Sending several variations of this email to editors I was working with felt like a version of “my dog ate my homework.” It felt weird, silly even, typing out the words, but I couldn’t craft any other sentences, let alone full articles. I wished it was a made-up excuse.
As badly as I wanted to get my mind off my dog’s death, I couldn’t. It was impossible to work. I stared at blank Google Doc sheets while nothing (usable) came up. All I could picture was replaying the exact moment I learned she died — the way it didn’t feel real, the way I couldn’t breathe, the way I felt so guilty for not being there with her that night.
I didn’t just lose a tiny, seven-pound chihuahua. I lost a family member of 10 years.
Many people develop deep bonds with their pets. According to a 2018 survey, 72% of Americans consider their pets to be family members, and research on pet loss throughout the years has consistently shown that the loss of a pet can feel as detrimental as the loss of a human family member.
Society still doesn’t look at pet loss as…
