Why is losing a pet harder for me than a human?
- Thread starter PURPLEDC
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sorry
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I'm sorry for your loss.
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Nearly everyone who participated in this thread did make me feel better. I really only have my family, my pets and the people I talk with online. So its sometimes hard to process this stuff wit such a limited social circle. The good news is he went very quickly and peacefully. His Vet took one look at him and said it was absolutely the right thing to do and the proper time and any more prolonging would just be cruel so I found peace in that. I am actually doing a lot better than I thought I was going to. It was hard explaining this to my 6 year old daughter. I tried to prepare her this last month but this was her first experience with death so it was hard for her to understand. That and diesels sister (been together since babies but had different parents) another pug named harley, is very confused. She goes to areas of the house he used to sleep and she just whimpers. But seriously thanks to everyone who offered condolences. I really do appreciate it.
Purple,
Sorry to hear, but I know you did the right thing. Diesel will always be in your heart.
Perhaps he an Bo will meet up on the other side. They can swap tales about us😊
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Quote: "Why is losing a pet harder for me than a human?"
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I can't answer that for you. I think that it depends on the individual and his/her loss.
I guess that it depends on the human being and what he or she meant to you in your life. There are good and bad in all people.
I am sorry for your loss. Your dog is in heaven and out of pain.
Losing a loved one (A human being.) is harder on me than losing a loved one - animal - one of my beloved dogs. That does not mean that I did not love my dog/dogs in my life but it is a different KIND of love even though they are and were FAMILY TO ME and/or to my late husband or late parents at the time.
Years ago, 5 months after my late husband died of cancer in the home that we built and lived in for over 30 years, my LAST two old dogs (Megan and Muffie.) were put to sleep. They were OLD and declining in health. I literally CRIED SO HARD because it was like a FINAL chapter closing my life. My heart ACHED and it felt like it was BROKEN IN HALF. I had not cried that hard and let it all out since my husband had died. It was the first time that I had not had a DOG or dogs in my life too. I was 51 years old at the time. I am now 65 years old and I never got another dog even though I have thought of it many times. It hurt so much but as much as it hurt me - I had good memories of my beloved dogs! I was lucky to always have extremely smart, loving, beautiful and kind dogs and they were lucky to have my late husband and me too!
Most dogs (Or other pets in your family.) give you unconditional love. Some human beings give unconditional love to another person too. NOT always though since it depends on the individual.
Me? I loved my CLOSE human beings - loved ones the most. More than my dogs if it came down to it but the dogs would come UP right behind them. It was and IS a different kind of love for me.
I am a DOG person too. Meaning I love dogs the most - more than any other TYPE of animal.
I do NOT 'love' all dogs. In fact, there are many dog breeds that I do NOT LIKE at all due to various reasons. I do NOT like or trust all dogs due to their specific breed, track record, nature, brains or LACK of them, looks, coat of hair, nasty personalities, etc. and not just due to their human owners being lousy 'parents' and irresponsible owners of dogs.
I do not 'love' all people either!
My loved ones come first - human beings.
My dogs always came in second right behind them.
I would trust and I did TRUST my human loved ones and my dog/dogs loved ones MORE than many people that I knew in my life and that goes for me NOW even though I no longer have a dog in my life.
I am sorry for your loss.
Take care.
Cate
~~~~~
I can't answer that for you. I think that it depends on the individual and his/her loss.
I guess that it depends on the human being and what he or she meant to you in your life. There are good and bad in all people.
I am sorry for your loss. Your dog is in heaven and out of pain.
Losing a loved one (A human being.) is harder on me than losing a loved one - animal - one of my beloved dogs. That does not mean that I did not love my dog/dogs in my life but it is a different KIND of love even though they are and were FAMILY TO ME and/or to my late husband or late parents at the time.
Years ago, 5 months after my late husband died of cancer in the home that we built and lived in for over 30 years, my LAST two old dogs (Megan and Muffie.) were put to sleep. They were OLD and declining in health. I literally CRIED SO HARD because it was like a FINAL chapter closing my life. My heart ACHED and it felt like it was BROKEN IN HALF. I had not cried that hard and let it all out since my husband had died. It was the first time that I had not had a DOG or dogs in my life too. I was 51 years old at the time. I am now 65 years old and I never got another dog even though I have thought of it many times. It hurt so much but as much as it hurt me - I had good memories of my beloved dogs! I was lucky to always have extremely smart, loving, beautiful and kind dogs and they were lucky to have my late husband and me too!
Most dogs (Or other pets in your family.) give you unconditional love. Some human beings give unconditional love to another person too. NOT always though since it depends on the individual.
Me? I loved my CLOSE human beings - loved ones the most. More than my dogs if it came down to it but the dogs would come UP right behind them. It was and IS a different kind of love for me.
I am a DOG person too. Meaning I love dogs the most - more than any other TYPE of animal.
I do NOT 'love' all dogs. In fact, there are many dog breeds that I do NOT LIKE at all due to various reasons. I do NOT like or trust all dogs due to their specific breed, track record, nature, brains or LACK of them, looks, coat of hair, nasty personalities, etc. and not just due to their human owners being lousy 'parents' and irresponsible owners of dogs.
I do not 'love' all people either!
My loved ones come first - human beings.
My dogs always came in second right behind them.
I would trust and I did TRUST my human loved ones and my dog/dogs loved ones MORE than many people that I knew in my life and that goes for me NOW even though I no longer have a dog in my life.
I am sorry for your loss.
Take care.
Cate
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To the question as to why you might feel more moved by a pet's death ... I have given considerable thought ... and might add my (only my) personal perspective.
Pets, whose eyes worship you every minute of every day, make you laugh, worry you ... and call upon you for all aspects of life ... can have importance in your daily life ... more present than any person of much less interaction. I don't believe you are making an evaluation as to the worth of human versus animal here. I think you are asking why am 'I so moved by this creature's death'.
I've got some years. I've lost my people. I've lost my pets.
With people, somehow you are not alone. They may know they are going, the medical team knows ... and only rarely are you the one to say "Do it."
With a pet, they do not know. They trust you. You are making the decision, driving them to their kind end or inviting the vet in. It may be a sense of betrayal for you ... towards the unsuspecting, trusting ... the big brown eyes of trust.
Well, I think the biggest expense I have gone to was a $45 worth of McDonalds on the way to the vet's. Alternatively it has been pizza ... or buttered toast. My mum always, most lovingly, said that dogs are guts. In my long life, I have had only two dogs who would pass on a milkbone to be with me. I am OK with that. You can see that I have been lucky enough to see my loved dogs to their end of old age while they still had appetites, but failing bodily in every other way. I like that they had health enough for hunger when they slept finally.
I never make the decision on the night before. I sleep. The vet is aware that it will be coming shortly, and I wake up in the morning and call in, hit the treats big time ... and then ... well, that's it.
My hope is that every dog hears from his person "Good Dog, you are a good dog" as that kind last sleep falls.
I know I am a sap.
Susan
Pets, whose eyes worship you every minute of every day, make you laugh, worry you ... and call upon you for all aspects of life ... can have importance in your daily life ... more present than any person of much less interaction. I don't believe you are making an evaluation as to the worth of human versus animal here. I think you are asking why am 'I so moved by this creature's death'.
I've got some years. I've lost my people. I've lost my pets.
With people, somehow you are not alone. They may know they are going, the medical team knows ... and only rarely are you the one to say "Do it."
With a pet, they do not know. They trust you. You are making the decision, driving them to their kind end or inviting the vet in. It may be a sense of betrayal for you ... towards the unsuspecting, trusting ... the big brown eyes of trust.
Well, I think the biggest expense I have gone to was a $45 worth of McDonalds on the way to the vet's. Alternatively it has been pizza ... or buttered toast. My mum always, most lovingly, said that dogs are guts. In my long life, I have had only two dogs who would pass on a milkbone to be with me. I am OK with that. You can see that I have been lucky enough to see my loved dogs to their end of old age while they still had appetites, but failing bodily in every other way. I like that they had health enough for hunger when they slept finally.
I never make the decision on the night before. I sleep. The vet is aware that it will be coming shortly, and I wake up in the morning and call in, hit the treats big time ... and then ... well, that's it.
My hope is that every dog hears from his person "Good Dog, you are a good dog" as that kind last sleep falls.
I know I am a sap.
Susan
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Sorry about your friend. Losing a dog is always hard. But don't forget you gave him a good life.
As to why it's harder to lose a dog than a person, the answer is simple. Because they're better than people.
As to why it's harder to lose a dog than a person, the answer is simple. Because they're better than people.
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You know, I get what you are saying. Humans have capacity well beyond right and true. Dogs simply love us. The truest heart.
I spent months by my mum's side as lung cancer took her. I love dogs as truly as they love me. No dog was better than my mother. My dad. My brother. My husband. My best friend.
The loss of my beloved dogs is deeply heartfelt. Their pictures are on my walls. There is no pain in remembering the absolutely wonderful times we had.
The loss of my people is in every breath I take, in every day, in everything I would like to share with them, but can no longer.
I am not saying that there is any less or more love for either. It is just a matter of - if you wanted to share your success or calamity of this day, would you want your mum there, or your dog.
It is simply more.
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:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
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My dog, without a doubt. No matter how bad of a day I have, my dog makes me feel better. The same can't be said about any of the people in my life.
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I think we often feel worse about a dog dying than a human because we have a different relationship with the dog.We try to meet their every need (food, shelter,medical treatment, recreation, companionship, etc.) that they cannot provide for themselves. And in return we receive unconditional acceptance and love. It is the pure and unconditional nature of that acceptance and love that makes the difference. Human love is more complicated and conditional. The loss of the simple pure love of an animal is often more devastating than the more complicated love of a fellow human.
My deepest condolences to those of you who have just lost your pet or who are about to. I lost two dogs this year. The first one was our 4 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who unexpectedly died in his sleep next to my wife. The seond dog was our 14 year old GermanShepherd Golden Retriever mix who developed a progressive neurological disease. My wife and I cried more about the loss of those animals than we did for some people we knew who died this year.
ditional accepts ce a d love from the .
My deepest condolences to those of you who have just lost your pet or who are about to. I lost two dogs this year. The first one was our 4 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who unexpectedly died in his sleep next to my wife. The seond dog was our 14 year old GermanShepherd Golden Retriever mix who developed a progressive neurological disease. My wife and I cried more about the loss of those animals than we did for some people we knew who died this year.
ditional accepts ce a d love from the .
james terrio
Sharpest Knife in the Light Socket
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My heartfelt condolences to anyone who's lost a beloved pet suddenly, or is faced with the gut-wrenching decision to let them go peacefully before they suffer any more. Having been through both situations in the last several months, I surely do not take it lightly. It hurt.
But as much as I dearly love our furry friends, I could never say that losing one of them is "harder" than losing a human friend or family member. It's just not the same. That's not any kind of judgment, it's just how I feel.
Regardless, I'm sorry for your loss.
But as much as I dearly love our furry friends, I could never say that losing one of them is "harder" than losing a human friend or family member. It's just not the same. That's not any kind of judgment, it's just how I feel.
Regardless, I'm sorry for your loss.
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Thank you for respectfully sharing your opinion. Sorry for your loss as well man.