No matter whether you've had your pet for some fourteen years or maybe just a few, it's never easy when you lose them. The death of a pet can be a traumatic and difficult experience. There will no doubt be an empty place in your life or your household that your pet once filled. Grieving the loss of a pet can be just as important as grieving the loss of a friend or other loved one. In fact, while your pet was alive, you no doubt considered him both a friend and a loved one. If you've had to make the decision to have your pet euthanized, that can add other emotions to your loss.

It's important that you allow yourself to grieve the loss of your pet. Remember your pet and the joy that they gave to you. They may be animals and not human, and we know full well that their life span is far shorter than ours, but that doesn't lessen your loss. In fact, when you consider the amount of time that we spend with our pets, which can be far more than that which we spend with relatives or friends, and how they become a part of our daily routine, the loss can be quite jarring. You may decide to get another pet right away to fill that void or to wait. There's really no right or wrong here, you just have to do what feels right for you.