Anger Much like denial, anger is another way of focusing the pain and hurt on something. It is human nature to look for someone or something to blame when you are sad and hurt. Realizing that sometimes suffering just happens is difficult to do, so people tend to find a scapegoat to pin the blame on. Our pets sometimes end up as the scapegoats because we're angry with them for leaving us. Anger can also be directed inward or at someone else in the family-especially if it seems that something could have been avoided.
Veterinarians are another convenient target for anger, because they euthanized the pet.
Even though anger is one of the normal steps in the grief process, it is important to remember that no one is to blame. Death is simply an unavoidable fact of life. When a pet dies, people often blame themselves. Wondering what could have been done differently is all too common. Many people wonder what would have happened if they had only fed their pet a better diet or exercised them more.