The Presence of Absence: on Losing a Cuddly Quadruped

Anatole France, a French poet and novelist, said that a part of one’s soul remains unawakened until one has loved an animal.

One of my colleague’s dog died of a disease a couple of weeks ago, and when I suggested, like her mom also did, that she get another pet to recuperate her distress caused by the quadruped’s demise, the idea, to her, was inconceivable. We all think that the people we love are invaluable and irreplaceable – the same goes for pets.          

The dog’s ailment began a few months ago when he suffered an injury around his nose, and the wound became chronic up to a point veterinary physicians were unable to help him survive and advised that he be euthanised to relieve the suffering. The dog, however, died, without needing euthanasia, days later.                      

A pet, be it a cat or a dog, often embodies a child, a good friend, or a long-term companion. Pets live enough time in our lives to actually enter and dwell in our heart, and become a part of our family and daily life. The death of a pet often forms a void in our hearts and lives, somewhat akin to losing a friend or a family member.   

The healthiest way to deal with the pet loss is to remember him or her by keeping the memories of the cuddly quadruped alive. My friend buried her dog under a tree in her house lawn, where he often used to play, with a large candle - that, she said, remained lit on the grave for three days - and a headstone engraved to memorialise the beloved companion.