Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet

I lost my senior dog to a drowning accident in our pool. It’s been difficult getting past the guilt. This book helped me with a different perspective and made me focus on the good times I had rather then then the unfortunate end. Good read.

Thank you. Our beloved Brittany lies on my feet in bed - a place where he’s ended his day for the last twelve years. But this night will be our last together. Your beautiful book has brought a measure of comfort during this painful time.

One of the better books on dealing with the death of your best friend.

Ive read this book many times and bought it for several people. When I have a friend that loses a pet I know meant the world to them, I buy a copy of this book and share it with them. It sometimes makes the pain worst only because we realize why we love our critters so much but the pain is "lessoned" because it helped me realize why we love them so much. Stop reading these reviews and just buy a copy, you'll be glad you did.

Almost a year ago, I lost my remarkable rescue dog, Tallulah, after 13 years together. It was a staggering blow; one I knew would come someday, but one I never wanted to prepare for.After talking to my friends for weeks and finding it difficult to discuss how upset I was without tearing up (or bursting into tears completely, depending on how my friends reacted to the news), I found this book by chance and it really made a difference.For some time, I was "upset that I was so upset," since I had been able to process deaths of family members and move on quickly, while this one struck me as a lingering sadness. Mr. Kowalski's book made me realize that there are reasons for this reaction, and, more importantly, that they are a natural part of human emotion (SPOILER ALERT: We spend every waking moment with our pets, letting them sleep near us, watching us while we get dressed in the morning, and taking them to the mailbox with us, so, yes, it's okay to miss that presence.)I've read some reviews that fault this book for making them more upset, and I can understand why they feel that way. This is not a book that will make the hurt go away, but it is a book that will make you feel better about being upset, and will give you some comfort in knowing that there's nothing wrong with you or the grief you are feeling. We all process our grief on different timetables, but it's important to remember that it's not a race and it's okay to take all the time you need.I read this about six weeks after Tallulah left, and while it turned the waterworks on, it did so in a way that was cathartic and helpful. There's even a chapter on when to open your home up to a new pet (and that depends completely on you) that made me realize it wasn't a betrayal, but a tribute to your beloved to do so. In July, we rescued a Lab/Hound mix named Conrad, and while he won't replace our girl, I realize there's enough room in our hearts to love this little guy just as much.Our pets are a joyous part of our lives. They're steadier in their emotions than we are and accept the fact that they can build their worlds around us and ask for surprisingly little in return. This book acknowledges that whether your pet has four legs, fins, a shell, or scales, when they leave us, they leave a tremendous void that hits us hard. And it let me know that it was okay to ache, because that means they did the job they were sent to do.

My husband Matthew and I were always rescuing abandoned and animals that became our hairy kids. We got Butters from animal control at the tender age of 3. He was to be my support animal and constant companion. Because he would take me for walks, we dipped into my retirement fund to have him trained so I could be the one taking him for walks. Dogs show their love by licking your face and boy did Butters really love. I was getting my face locked raw. If I had to run an errand with out him, Matthew told me Butters would drive him crazy by hanging around the door to go out and see if I was home yet! Right around the time he was 4 years old he started to hemorrhage in his stomach and we couldn't find the reason why. After 3 blood transfusions and a big chunk of the rest of my retirement fund the internal medicine vet said that there was nothing more that could be done to save him as we let the vet gently but him to sleep while his head reacted in my lap. I had never in all the years of rescuing hairy kids felt so connected or so loved. Butters death got me harder than ever before. This book made me cry a lot but it also made me laugh some as well.It has only been a month so I still hurt but thanks to this book I can also smile a little by remembering the good times when Butters would play dead when I pointed my finger at him and say bang or when he would go down the double slide with me. I will always love him and miss him but thanks to this book every day is a little better.

My 13 1/2 year old cat - Peanut- who I had for 12 1/2 years unexpectedly passed away about a month ago. She had zero health issues - ever. I have another cat who is 16 and still going strong But I was absolutely shocked and devastated over Peanut. She was the softest, cutest, sweetest, most playful, funniest, and intelligent pet I’ve ever had. I had to take off two days from work to grieve and then realized I needed some relief from the pain. I found this book and ordered it and received it 4 days after her passing. I read most of it in two nights. It helped soooooo much. I am so grateful for it. Between that and printing out hundreds of photos of her and putting them into a photo album, it seemed like my healing process moved along pretty well. Highly recommend the book for anyone who is dealing with the loss of a pet or knows someone that is. Most friends and family members can’t offer the support needed…but this book might help them support and understand better.

The author helped me to get through the healing process of loosing a much-loved kitty we had for almost 17 years. I highly recommend this book.

No me gusto mucho, hay mejores libros sobre este tema.

I read this book after my 13 year old dog died. It was helpful and well written. Not religious even though written by a Pastor. It provided great comfort and was not too long. Highly recommend.

愛犬を亡くして、すがる思いで購入しました。日本語では、とってつけたような表現が多いので購入する気持ちにはなれず。英語が読める方は是非。とても薄くて読みやすいです。私はいつもバッグに入れています。姿は見えなくても、魂はそばにいてくれる、、、、とても心が穏やかになれました。

This has supported me during the transition of my poorly canine best friend to his death. Beautiful and will help me on my healing journey.

I'm not sure what I was looking for in the depths of my grief but this did not really help me all that much. It did not give me ways to help me through my grief, that's for sure. Maybe reading it again after more time has passed would be better, but I did not get very much out of this book. Feel good stories made me pause to think, but also made me miss my dog more.