Dealing with the Loss of a Pet

Earlier this summer we lost our beloved 11-year-old terrier, and it was heartbreaking for our whole family. I cried for days. My three-year-old kept insisting that maybe Gus was upstairs or would be coming home soon. My five-year-old, who had an affinity for wrapping our patient pup in blankets and snuggling with him in bed, suggested that maybe Gus could come back as a spirit like Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars. His creative approach to dealing with Gus' loss didn't stop there.

By the time we were home from the vet, puffy eyes stinging, our son was proudly presenting us with a crayon illustration he'd made of the dog. He had also created an admittedly odd looking rendition of our dog if he had been a Mr. Potato Head; while the green nose as a dog tail was a little out of the ordinary, it was also funny and a relief to see my son dealing with his grief by making as many artistic versions of our dog as possible. I decided to follow suit and create things with and for my kids to remember our sweet dog.

We made a photo book with favorite pictures of our adventures with Gus and quotes from kids about their best memories about him. This was an especially cathartic experience because we all talked about funny Gus stories and other memories that helped us focus on our good times with him.

I also put together a shadow box with pictures and mementos like his worn dog tag, paw print, and photos of our good times together. He was best buddies with our older dog who passed away two years ago, so I put all of their things together because that's how they always were.

Two months later, our fridge is still covered in drawings from the kids. We have my son's crayon illustration of the dog up as well as a drawing my five-year-old niece made for us of our whole family (both humans and canine).

This fall we're buying a tree for our yard, and we're going to put some ashes from Gus and Mazey in the ground when we plant it. I like the idea of having a new, growing tree in the front yard that will make me smile each time I see it and think of them.