Coping with the loss of my dog

In my opinion, there’s also something that plays a huge part in getting over the loss of a pet: support from those close to you! Or at least from some more than others.

When I lost Orion in May 2013, I started to spiral; I stopped eating, stayed in bed whenever I didn't have to be at work, and refused to talk to anyone... I even thought about ending my own life.

And what allowed me to pull myself together a week or two after Orion passed away was an email from the director of Les Marmettes (the residential home where my partner stays in Switzerland).

The director had contacted me once before to ask for some information for my next visit. I didn't feel like answering, so I just ignored her email.

She followed up a few days later and that’s when I let everything out: Orion’s death, my depression, the bills I’d stopped paying and, more or less implicitly, my intention to take my own life. (I’d paid for something and told her to just give the money to the charity that runs the centre instead.)

The director wrote back a few hours later to say (in a nutshell!) that she understood, but that life was still worth living even if Orion was no longer here, and she encouraged me to keep going.

It was that email from the director (I won’t post her name but you can find it easily online) that helped me get back on my feet and stopped me from sinking completely into depression.

My dad also tried to support me, especially by telling me not to stop eating as it wouldn't do any good, but for some reason, that just wasn't enough.

Hello

Yes, it really hurts, and everyone grieves at their own pace, in their own way... Getting another dog is an option, not as a replacement because you’ll never forget your handsome boy. Sending you so much strength

Unfortunately, there’s no secret method or trick to make the grief pass any faster. It’s just there, it’s unavoidable, and everyone deals with it in their own way.

When I lost my first Dogo, I was devastated, of course. I waited for years before I felt ready to get another dog. I was scared I’d keep comparing them and so on... But even after all those years, the newcomer—a different breed this time (a Dogue de Bordeaux)—still ended up being compared to the previous one. That didn't stop me from loving my Dogue and having a wonderful bond with him, though. It was just different.

Sadly, I lost my Dogue when he was only 3 years, 5 months and 2 days old. It was incredibly hard. Especially at such a young age—it just shouldn't happen.

At that point, I started to get depressed; I lost interest in everything and so on... It’s understandable, really—I live alone and I’d lost my sidekick.

I started out like you, considering adopting again without being truly decided. Gradually the idea took hold, and I adopted another Dogo a few weeks later. It wasn't easy at first, even though I fell head over heels for the little white fellow after just three days. The memories and the sadness were still there. I didn't replace my Dogue; I moved forward. I didn't want to go years without a dog again, and I need a dog to keep me active and stop me from sinking into depression. And it worked!

Like you, this is all very recent for me; I lost my Dogue in September and my new little white lad has been with me for two months now.

There’s no right or wrong way to go about it; it’s a very personal thing and everyone reacts in their own way.

But I don’t regret getting another dog so quickly; without him, I’m sure I would have slipped back into depression.

I also find that, when circumstances allow, you can get through the heartache of such a loss more quickly by dedicating your time to a new little one – ideally one with quite different traits, new challenges to overcome, and new adventures to go on together...