Your Licks: Glenn Close Responds on Grieving the Death of a Dog


Posted on Nov 30, 2007
By Glenn Close

Comments(4)

Any advice for dealing with the death of a dog? We had to put our much loved and devoted dog, Simon, to sleep last  week. It was incredibly difficult and I never realized how hard it was to live without a canine companion. - Ashley from New York


Dear Ashley:

I really sympathize with your grief over the loss of Simon and know how deeply painful it is. I thought it might be helpful to tell you about how I dealt with having to put down our beloved Coton de Tulear, Gabby, after which I went through a real grieving period. She had been failing for a long time, but letting her go was still a wrenching, sorrowful experience. I decided to let myself openly grieve; feeling that it was better to let everything out. I tried to think of things that would help me and my family get over our painful loss. A friend made a coffin which I filled with objects that she had loved: socks from my sock basket where she loved to sleep, favorite treats and toys and her special knitted wool sweater with a red heart appliquéd over hers. I gathered pictures of her with family and friends and pasted them under the lid. Then I put her in,  wrapped in one of my cozy flannel nightgowns. A friend sent me a statue of St. Francis that we placed over her grave. Afterwards, I created a memorial to her in the kitchen, at the heart of our house, and kept it there until the initial pain of her loss was gone. I let myself cry and talked about her a lot; and all the humor and loyalty and love she had brought into our lives. Other pets have since joined Gabby, under the gaze of St. Francis. It is a peaceful and comforting place, blessed by the unconditional love of the pets who are buried there.

So, I think it will help you to give into your grief and, at the same time, to try to turn it into a celebration of the special, unforgettable animal that gave you so much. It might also help to look at several articles in FetchDog.com's Resource Library that deal with the death of a pet and how to memorialize your pet.

I send you my deepest sympathy.

Glenn Close

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Comments
Thank you for your kind words and advice on dealing with the death of Simon. My family and I ended up following quite a bit of it. A new puppy will come into our lives in early March. It will be wonderful to have a dog around again, but still a little bit sad at the same time. We've put the name Gabby on our name list as a little tribute to your beloved companion. Best wishes, Ashley
Posted By Ashley
on Jan 2, 2008
Thank you for your kind words and advice on dealing with the death of Simon. My family and I ended up following quite a bit of it. A new puppy will come into our lives in early March. It will be wonderful to have a dog around again, but still a little bit sad at the same time. We've put the name Gabby on our name list as a little tribute to your beloved companion. Best wishes, Ashley
Posted By Ashley
on Jan 2, 2008
I just lost my American bulldog, Annabel Lee. I thank you for your advice. I had her cremated and buried her in the backyard. I keep her pictures with me and look at them. I cry for her. It's easier to go to work, where she has no presence, than to come home, where her presence is everywhere. My house feels empty without her. Nights are the hardest, because she slept with me. I miss the heavy thump of her body as she threw herself into our bed. I miss her snoring, and the one tooth that protruded slightly. I knew every inch of her muscular body as well as my own, and I miss every inch of it terribly. Frankly, although I have had several dogs, she was the love of my life and I don't think I'll ever get over her. However, I am looking around to adopt another Amerivcan bulldog (Annabel was a rescue) because I can save a life.
Posted By Ronnie
on Jan 6, 2008
Dear Glenn, Your heart felt thoughts for the people who lost their dog touched me deeply. I lost my beloved Madison in July of 2007. She got sick with Hermangiosarcoma Jan a year ago. They gave her 19 days to 3 months. She was fine for 6 months when it came back so we had to put her to sleep. Needles to say that was the worst 6 months of my life. She was a German shorthaired pointer. The only good thing she gave me from this was I lost all my menopause weight. ( Not that I was heavy, but I am now back to my skinny self and it has stayed off....) She was only 9 1/2. Way to young. She loved life and of course food. We kept her trim, if given her way she would have been a cow. She certainly set the record for eating her meals faster then any dog I know. She didn't chew, just ate and swallowed. We have a 12 1/2 yr old Short hair also Max. After 2 weeks of thinking he was the King,when he realised she was not coming back he got so sad. He joined us in how we were all feeling. He didn't want to eat. So 3 months after Madison was gone we got Molly another GSP. We love the breed. Our home is alive again. It was just way too quiet with one dog. Now all the kids in our apt. building come up for play dates with Molly and even Max. He is so much happier now. He is eating again , going to the dog runs and acts so much younger then he is. I think getting a new dog will never make you forget the love you had for your passed on animals, but bringing in new love helps you heal. At least it was the best medicine for me. I needed another girl pup to love. They are like my children. I do have 2 wonderful step daughters Liz and Alli and a great husdand Bill. If we had a house we would have more dogs. They are such amazing emtional support. Maybe we will see you one day at Central Park. We go there often. We live on 63rd and Seocnd Ave. It is so nice to read about all the dog lovers. Thanks, Patti Siegel
Posted By Patti
on Jan 9, 2008
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Welcome to LIVELY LICKS: Profiles of Dogs and their People.
I hope that you will be entertained, comforted and inspired by the people and dogs that I have the privilege of featuring on this blog. Since starting it over a year and a half ago, it has pulled me into an incredible journey. Besides being able to celebrate some of my wonderful friends and the profound bond they have with their dogs, LIVELY LICKS has introduced me to the world of avalanche dogs, bomb-sniffing dogs, service dogs for our wounded warriors and dogs in need of rescue and adoption. I have been inspired by the selfless dedication of the people who run grassroots shelters as well as urban care and control centers. I have been deeply moved by their stories in which dogs heal and empower their humans. Those of us who have dogs, know how much they enhance our quality of life with their unquestioning loyalty and unconditional love. There are an infinite number of stories to tell, so I hope you will stay with me as I continue to explore and discover and delight in the journey.