My friend just lost her 12yr old dog who was her best friend and doesn’t seem to be in a good place, what can I do to help her?

[Anonymous]

Her dog was attached to her and she was to him. She didn’t fo to work cause he was sick on Friday and the dog passed on Sunday, so she said she couldn’t come to work on Monday. I tried to call her but she said it was hard for her to talk on the phone

[BoopBoopBeep]

It's HARD to lose a pet, especially a dog that you've had that long. Listen when she wants to tell stories about their time together to help keep the memory alive, and maybe in time go volunteer at a local animal shelter, ask her if she wants to come along. She'll get the endorphin high of getting to be around animals again, the animals win from the help, love, and attention, you'll get to see your friend happy again... everybody wins. Who knows, somebody there may fill her heart and she fosters somebody. Everybody does that on their own timeline though, so don't push it if she says it's too soon, or some such, and just ask her again next month. It'll help if you've actually done it beforehand, because then you can say "oh this is Maria, she's really good with the cats and this is Bob and he cleans the cages because he's so meticulous and this is Erin who does the spay/neuter surgeries" and give her a way to go into it not blind, as well as pulling some focus off animals onto people so if it becomes overwhelming for her, she still has a human outlet to continue to boost up instead of having to walk away from it all together.

[RyanK9b]

Just keep her company. Distract her a bit. I lost my dog after 18 years. It takes a while to get over it but never disappears.
I always talk now about the good and lovely stories about him

[Asker]

Is it really that painful?

[RyanK9b]

The most painful I had. I'm a paramedic

[jennifer_bloom]

It sounds like she is the type of person who wants to be alone while grieving. Some like companionship in times of pain and some like isolation. I would leave her alone if that is what she wants. You could send her a card or bake some cookies and leave it on her doorstep if you want her to know you are there to support her. Maybe send her a gift card to a spa to get her hair and nails done if you can afford an expensive gift to help her cheer up.

[Asker]

Do you think losing a dog is that painful?

[jennifer_bloom]

Some people get very depressed when they lose a dog and others feel relieved that their duties as a dog parent are over and they no longer have to clean up vomit.

[laly520]

spend time with her

plan going out somewhere she would like

bake her sth or buy if u can't bake it

[OtterMan68]

they make greeting cards for that occaission. Get her a photo frame with a dog theme for a photo of her and her dog. Let her have time to grieve.

[boggboss]

Vist her bring her a meal 🤷🏽‍♂️

[Asker]

Is it that painful to lose a dog?

[boggboss]

To her yes everyone deals with pain and lose differently she could fully be expirancing the lose on the level of someone losing a kid