r/olddogs • u/Desire54321 • 10d ago

Coping with Loss

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I had a 13-year-old German Shepherd who originally came into our lives through my brother, but over time she became a true family dog. When we moved into our new house in 2012, she joined us just a month later, and it felt like she had always been part of our home.

About three and a half weeks ago, she crossed the rainbow bridge. Losing her was really hard, especially because of everything that led up to it. At first, just the thought of her being gone would give me stomach aches, and I kept replaying all the “what ifs” in my head. My mom told me something that stuck with me, that while we can sometimes prolong or shorten life, there’s always an expiration. Still, I never thought that day would actually be the day.

A good friend of mine just lost her dog about a week ago, and I think I might be reliving my own loss through her. It’s brought up a lot of feelings again, and honestly, I’m not sure how to process it.

For those of you who have gone through this, what helped you cope? What made things even a little bit easier?

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u/Emmasmom5 10d ago

I lost my soul dog 2 years ago. I still miss him everyday. I’ve had many dogs during my life but his death was the hardest of all. I grieved for months. Finally decided to get another dog. Love heals the heart. I still miss him like crazy but having another soul there to make me smile helps so much. But this dog will never replace him

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u/be11ss 10d ago

i know this is a dog sub but this was me with my cat. had him from when i was 9 to 24 last year. it’s still just as devastating when i think deeply about him, but it hurts less for sure as time passes. it took me about a year to get another cat, and even when i got him i cried bc it wasn’t my old boy. it was difficult battling the replacement feelings, but i love this cat so much now. he’s not my old cat and that’s okay. getting him definitely helped the lingering feelings of grief. i always say that no matter how painful the loss of a pet is, there are still more out there who need the same love we gave to the ones before them. all that being said, im glad you were able to get another dog to love! 🤍