Saying Good-Bye to the Pet You Love: A Complete Resource to Help You Heal 
asked by carrots on November 3, 2006 4:07 PM
Written by a psychologist who is a leader in the field of pet bereavement, this practical but sympathetic guide validates the survivor's often misunderstood feelings, explains the importance of the human-animal bond, and offers strategies for working through the grieving process. Some of the coping techniques include memorializing the pet, recognizing problematic thinking, and finding support. The book also covers dealing with guilt and explaining the pet's death to a child.
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Most people don't understand the special bond between people and exotic companion animals. I refer to Toby, my green iguana. When Toby died last year, a friend referred me to this self-help book. I'm not a big fan of self-help books, but "Saying Good-Bye to the Pet You Love" turned out to be a real help. The truth is, there is little social support for people who grieve the loss of companion animals -- especially companion animals that aren't furry or don't catch Frisbees. As I read the book, I realized my grief was turning me into a social recluse. The step-by-step suggestions in the book helped me out of bed and back into my life again.
reviewed by theriver on November 18, 2006 11:53 PM
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On Nov 2nd my husband and I put our 15 year old dog, Beaner, to sleep. Beaner was my first dog. I had a tremendous flood of emotions following his passing, and I scoured Amazon looking for a book to help understand/relieve some of what I was feeling.
This book was truly wonderful. I specifically remember two things that helped me a great deal. One was sitting down and writing out my memories of Beaner. While it was sad to do this - I remembered so many good things (and humorous) that this was actually quite healing.
The second thing was that it helps to have some sort of simple ceremony so that you can feel the release and/or closure of your time with your friend.
My husband, who isn't a huge reader - also picked up this book to find some help. He also found it to be extremely helpful, and was moved to tears with the story of the Rainbow Bridge.
I definitly recommend this book to anyone that has experienced a recent loss of their pet friend.
This book was truly wonderful. I specifically remember two things that helped me a great deal. One was sitting down and writing out my memories of Beaner. While it was sad to do this - I remembered so many good things (and humorous) that this was actually quite healing.
The second thing was that it helps to have some sort of simple ceremony so that you can feel the release and/or closure of your time with your friend.
My husband, who isn't a huge reader - also picked up this book to find some help. He also found it to be extremely helpful, and was moved to tears with the story of the Rainbow Bridge.
I definitly recommend this book to anyone that has experienced a recent loss of their pet friend.
reviewed by goonball on November 27, 2006 7:35 AM