Alive in Memory

An emotionally difficult part of sharing our lives with companion animals is the fact that they don't live as long as we do. When animals die, the people who love them go through the same grieving process as if they had lost a human loved one. Often, other people don't understand, making the grieving process even more difficult. "It was just an animal," they say. Happily, there are a growing number of organizations and books to help people through the grieving process when animal friends die.

Over the years, I have grieved the loss of four dogs, three cats and a horse. You will find their pictures on the In Memoriam page. If you would like to add a picture of your deceased companion animal, please e-mail the picture along with the animal's name and years of life.