The Baltimore Humane Society, thoroughly explores "Coping With the Death of Your Pet" on its website and offers a checklist of suggestions:
• Acknowledge your grief and give yourself permission to express it.
• Don't hesitate to reach out to others who can lend a sympathetic ear.
• Explore the Internet for coping information.
• Contact your vet or your local shelter to find out about pet-loss support groups and pet-loss hot lines.
• Prepare a memorial for your pet.
• Write about your feelings, either in a journal or a poem, essay, or short story.