Veterinarians are spending more and more time in the euthanasia process. But people realize it's possible to go through the exact same stages of grieving as for a family member, because they are family members. Sometimes grieving can be even deeper, said John Crosswaite, executive director of Interfaith Care Giving Network in Waukesha County. Crosswaite leads the Humane Animal Welfare Society's bereavement support group. With pets, there is unconditional love.
People often say they cried more for their dog than they did for their father or mother.
Crosswaite started the Waukesha support group three years ago after he saw similarities between pet owners and what he saw as a hospice worker helping people deal with deaths in their families. Sarah Hintz's mother died when she was a teen-ager, and her father when she was in her 20s. Grief is grief. Hintz, who was so heartbroken over Mow's death that she found it difficult to go to work, said she found little understanding from friends or co-workers. In grieving for people, it's more acceptable to have these feelings.