I’m a therapist, and one of my clients is putting her dog to sleep this week. Her first time. She cried through the whole session. And this was the first time I ever cried in session myself in 5 years. And I’ve heard some shit… but this got to me.
I started sobbing in front of my manager at work when I was telling him I needed to go home to be with my dog for his last day because I just gotten the call from the vet that we needed to put him down. Absolute no fucking control, I was a mess. Literally got four words in and just exploded
I keep wondering how I’m going to tell my boss when this happens because I’m not going to be able to come into work for the day and I hope he’s not going to belittle me for feeling this way about my pet. Because he’s not just an animal but my family.
I got my first dog, a 8 week old puppy, in December. My wife and, both 37, don’t have kids and have decided to not have any. The dog is an animal, we both know this, but he’s also out son!
Thank you for being there for them. I had to put down my soul pet, my cat of 20 years, in October. First time losing my pet as opposed to the family’s. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever been through. Thankfully I was seeing a counselor who helped me through the worst of it and I’m so grateful to her. She cried too, and it touched me that she could empathize so deeply with what I was feeling.
When I talked about losing my kitty on here, someone said the sweetest thing that will always stay with me, “May her sunspot never move and may she rest in play.”
Being a cat person, I don’t know how relevant the sunspot part would be to a dog, but I feel like “rest in play” is such a lovely way to think about any pet’s passing.
My senior tiny dog loves his sunspot, so that tracks for me.
It’s been about 5 years since we put down his roommate. It is now bittersweet. We put together a memory photo book for her and it helps to sit down and remember the good things.
I’m on medical leave from work and made a list of low-energy things I could do while recovering from surgery, and making a memory photo book is on that list! I’m also thinking about getting a customized stuffed animal that looks like my girl. It’s so hard to lose them.
We did the customized stuffed animal for one of our late dogs (only one of them because she was my husband’s first. They are not cheap). It looks awesome and is a great memento.
I would second this. I heard many stories from clients where I couldn’t relate personally, but the whole point of empathy is to put yourself in that person’s shoes and say “Ok, if I were you in this situation, I’d feel the same way you do.”
I’m a therapist, and one of my clients is putting her dog to sleep this week. Her first time. She cried through the whole session. And this was the first time I ever cried in session myself in 5 years. And I’ve heard some shit… but this got to me.
I started sobbing in front of my manager at work when I was telling him I needed to go home to be with my dog for his last day because I just gotten the call from the vet that we needed to put him down. Absolute no fucking control, I was a mess. Literally got four words in and just exploded
I keep wondering how I’m going to tell my boss when this happens because I’m not going to be able to come into work for the day and I hope he’s not going to belittle me for feeling this way about my pet. Because he’s not just an animal but my family.
If he doesn’t empathize he doesn’t have a soul.
I got my first dog, a 8 week old puppy, in December. My wife and, both 37, don’t have kids and have decided to not have any. The dog is an animal, we both know this, but he’s also out son!
Thank you for being there for them. I had to put down my soul pet, my cat of 20 years, in October. First time losing my pet as opposed to the family’s. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever been through. Thankfully I was seeing a counselor who helped me through the worst of it and I’m so grateful to her. She cried too, and it touched me that she could empathize so deeply with what I was feeling.
When I talked about losing my kitty on here, someone said the sweetest thing that will always stay with me, “May her sunspot never move and may she rest in play.”
Being a cat person, I don’t know how relevant the sunspot part would be to a dog, but I feel like “rest in play” is such a lovely way to think about any pet’s passing.
My senior tiny dog loves his sunspot, so that tracks for me.
It’s been about 5 years since we put down his roommate. It is now bittersweet. We put together a memory photo book for her and it helps to sit down and remember the good things.
I’m on medical leave from work and made a list of low-energy things I could do while recovering from surgery, and making a memory photo book is on that list! I’m also thinking about getting a customized stuffed animal that looks like my girl. It’s so hard to lose them.
We did the customized stuffed animal for one of our late dogs (only one of them because she was my husband’s first. They are not cheap). It looks awesome and is a great memento.
May I ask what company you used for that?
We used Cuddle Clones! It was about $300. Here is a pic:
Aww, she’s so cute! That’s the company I’ve been looking at so it’s nice to hear a personal experience not from their website!
My dog loved her sunspot. She passed a couple months ago
I’m sorry for your loss <3
Not while me and Kitty are in the dusty room of the house, please.
Man, my therapist said “damn that sucks” and changed the subject…they’re not an “animal person”
Sounds like you need a new therapist as that doesn’t seem like empathy to me.
Oh I definitely changed after that
I would second this. I heard many stories from clients where I couldn’t relate personally, but the whole point of empathy is to put yourself in that person’s shoes and say “Ok, if I were you in this situation, I’d feel the same way you do.”
Thats true I’ve had too many therapist pity me instead of empathize with me. I’ve gotten enough pity through out my life.