The Veterinary Oncology and Hematology Center at 178 Connecticut Avenue, Norwalk,
Connecticut is pleased to announce the formation of a new support group for people whose pet is terminally
ill or has died. The group will meet from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon on the first and third Saturday of each month.
There is no charge and the group is open to anyone experiencing pet loss.
|
Coping With the Death of a Companion Animal
 Many people feel their pet is their friend or child or protector or companion, forming a
deep and loving bond, and are overwhelmed by the intensity and duration of their grief when their pet dies.
The death of a pet is sometimes accompanied by guilt, anger or a continual replay of their pet's final illness
and it is not unusual for people to feel that if only they had done something differently,
their pet may have lived longer. The decision to allow euthanasia for a dying pet may also cause
emotional difficulties, even when there is no hope of recovery.
Not everyone experiences profound grief or anger when their pet dies, but many people do.
While human loss is marked by a solemn religious ceremony, expressions of sympathy, burial and a period
of mourning for the immediate family, the death of a pet is often seen as a minor event by one's community.
It is not unusual for people to be at work the next day because the death of a beloved pet may not
be an adequate reason for a day or two off.
Grieving pet owners may receive all sorts of unsolicited advice: "You should get another dog or cat,"
or "It was just a dog (or cat), "or "Get over it already." Many people come to a support group for the
first time and say "I can't eat, I can't sleep, I can't stop crying.. .what is wrong with me?" They don't want
another dog or cat- they want the one they lost and they can't just "get over it."
Support groups provide a compassionate place where people can help each other.
The most constructive help comes from the people who have been going through a similar loss.
Everyone loves animals, and no one thinks it's unusual to cry over a pet's death- even months later.
Some people come to the group once or twice and others come for months.
The facilitator for the group is Wendie Grossman, M.S. in Counseling, who has provided individual
and group counseling in Pet Loss for many years at the Bide-a-Wee Home Association and, recently, at
the Center for Specialized Veterinary Care on Long Island. She and Molly, her Cocker Spaniel, have recently
moved to Norwalk to be near their family.
For further information: please call: 203-838-6626
|
|
