A Mixture of Grief and Joy: Dealing with Pet Loss Grief During the Holidays

Unwrapping Presents……

Laughter with Loved Ones…………

Stuffed bellied filled with Holiday treats……………..

For some, these Holiday joys can be coupled with Holiday grief, including pet owners.  It can be overwhelming and under-acknowledged.

Here, at Unleashed with Grace, we support you in your grief and hope that you allow yourself the time you deserve to process the passing of your beloved pet.  Here are some tips that may be helpful:

1. 1. Create a beautiful photo album memorializing your beloved pet.  https://www.shutterfly.com makes this super easy to do and you may find this therapeutic as you remember beautiful memories unlocked through old photos.
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3. 2. Create a beautiful ornament.  This can be a creative family project or use a website like https://www.etsy.com/market/pet_memorial_ornament that specializes in making wonderful memorial ornaments for pets.
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5. 3. Talk with someone you trust. It may be days, weeks, months or even years since you lost your pet….and it still hurts.  This is normal and talking with someone about it can be therapeutic.  If you cannot find someone to talk to, you can talk with compassionate professionals through the University of Illinois Veterinary Pet Loss Hotline (217)244-2273 https://vetmed.illinois.edu/animal-care/care-pet-loss-helpline/
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7. 4. Consider a pet loss support group: The Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement lists counselors specializing in pet loss state by state.  You can see those located in Illinois by clicking here: https://aplb.org/support/counselors/illinois.html
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We acknowledge your grief and give you our deepest sympathies for your loss.  Please take care of yourself because our pets need you!!!