How to cope with loss of a pet.

Animals bring so much joy to pet parents’ lives. This special bond makes the inevitable loss of a pet extremely painful to handle. The days and weeks surrounding a pet’s death are never easy, but caring professionals and fellow animal lovers can help ease the burden. Here’s what pet parents can expect as they navigate the healing process. Making the Decision to Euthanize Your Pet In many cases, pet parents must decide whether to euthanize an ill or aged pet. It is a difficult choice, even when an animal is suffering. Circumstances are typically fraught with uncertainty for the pet parent, says Dr. Lisa Moses, a palliative care and pain specialist at the Massachusetts Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston. “There really is no other decision we make in life that is similar,” Moses says. “People expect to feel clear about it and to know when it will feel right. But if you wait for that moment, you may prolong unnecessary suffering.” However difficult the decision, euthanasia may be the kindest option for an animal who is suffering, says Michele Pich, a veterinary grief counselor and instructor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Ryan Veterinary Hospital in Philadelphia