There’s a guilt that comes with pet grief that is rarely discussed. We’re afraid to talk about it or we feel a sense of deep shame.
So many of my clients carry guilt that they are responsible for their beloved animal’s death.
They blame themselves for a number of things like:
🐾 Bringing their loved one to the vet
🐾 Not bringing them to the vet on time
🐾 Not noticing a change
🐾 They feel they gave up too soon or let their pet suffer too long
🐾 Being out of the house etc.
I understand and as a pet parent, I’ve blamed myself in all of the above ways and more when I’ve lost my animals.
𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵, 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘂𝗹𝘁.
When we can’t make sense of what’s happened because the pain of our loss is so hard, we start to (incorrectly) fill in blanks. We start to tell ourselves that it is our fault and we replay their final moments over and over again in our minds, searching for evidence that we are to blame for their death.
I want you to know that you did everything you could for your companion and they loved you more than anything else in the world. They don’t want you to suffer and blame yourself and they certainly don’t blame you.
I know your grief is hard and incredibly painful. I’m here for you. If you’d like to explore this further, you can book a session here.
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The guilt that comes with pet grief | Pet Grief Therapy 2026
