Helping children grieve the loss of a pet

Pets are a much loved member of a family.  For some children, their pet may be their best friend and when they die, it can be a devastating experience for the whole family.  It may be some children’s first experience of death.   

With gentleness, kindness and honesty we can help children grieve, process their loss and go through the emotions of this experience.

When friends ask me about this aspect of death in their families, I also suggest they engage in some sort of goodbye ritual.   

That can be as simple as drawing a picture, writing their pet’s story, sharing stories over dinner, putting their lead and favourite toys in a box to create a pet memory box, scattering their ashes or watching videos together.  

Helping them and supporting them in their grieve at this stage, may help them with similar losses later in life.   

There are many children’s books available to help gently explain and normalise death as part of life and I have a wonderful conversation in Episode 8 of Deadly Serious Conversations with Lance Stringer from Edenhills Pet cremations on this topic.