Losing My Best Friend: Thoughtful support for those affected by dog bereavement or pet loss
£8.50
“Remember me with tears and laughter. Remember me though it hurts to do so, because the pain you have is equal to the love we shared. There is no goodbye if you carry me in your heart. Remember all the joy we shared, because there was so much of it for both of us.” Herbie Longfellow Alderdice
Are you a dog owner who is in the process of losing your best friend to illness? Or have you lost your beloved pet and you’re struggling to get over them?
Pet bereavement is tough. Not everyone can, or will, sympathise with you.
After losing her beloved boy Herbie, Jeannie Wycherley found herself lost in grief, struggling to find her way through it.
Too many friends and acquaintances told her she’d ‘get over it’ because he was ‘just a dog’ however, to Jeannie, Herbie was so much more than that. A loving companion. A soulmate. A true character. Her best friend.
She found that the more she articulated her feelings around other pet owners, the more she came to understand just how many of those people had been similarly locked deep in secret mourning for a furry friend. Feelings of guilt, overwhelm, exhaustion—even shame—were common.
And so, she wrote about her experiences. The result, Losing my Best Friend: Thoughtful Support for those Affected by Dog Bereavement or Pet Loss offers practical advice about what to do when your pet passes away, including tips on helping your children or other pets cope with the loss, designing your own ceremony to celebrate your dog’s life, and creating memorials.
In these pages Jeannie Wycherley has created a loving tribute to Herbie and delivers support with a light and loving touch that aims to validate the feelings you’re experiencing.
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Additional information
| Publisher | 1st edition (20 April 2018), Bark at the Moon Books |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 152 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0995781826 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0995781825 |
| Dimensions | 12.7 x 0.89 x 20.32 cm |
by Amazon Customer
Anyone buying or thinking of buying this book is probably going through an incredibly difficult and heartbreaking time, or knows someone who is. And for that I am so so sorry. This journey of grief we inevitably have to take can be an incredibly lonely and isolating one, even if you have the support of others.
It’s been less than a month since I lost my once in a lifetime dog Betty, a rescue terrier who was 17-18 when she passed and I’d had her nearly 14 years. She made me laugh every single day and I will miss her forever. I’ve read this wonderful book twice already and will no doubt read it again several times. Like me you will probably cry so much sometimes you won’t be able to see the words. Knowing someone has been through such a profound loss and understands is a huge comfort. Jeannie the author writes so beautifully and from the heart, to read hers and the other contributors’ words and know you’re not alone feeling like this helps so much and I’m so grateful to them for that.
It’s like having a friend walking this horrible, painful path with you and holding your hand every step of the way.
by meens
I lost my boy the day before yesterday and it’s still very, very raw. This book has made me cry, cry even more than I already have for him. But boy has it helped me! I have already visited Herbie’s Facebook page – what a handsome chap he is and he’s on the front of this beautiful book too. That I think his mum at times found so hard to write and at times I found equally hard to read. But read it I did! I owed it to not only Herbie, Jeannie but to my beautiful boy too.
I plan on visiting Jeannie’s website, dropping by Herbie’s page (a lot probably) over the next few days and I will continue to reread this book using it to help me cope as best I can and to take solace from it too.
If your struggling to cope over the loss of your fur baby, then read on I find this book a great source of help and comfort and will continue to do so.
by Steve Burridge
Having been buried in grief for the loss of Fudge I have just taken my time to read your book & gather my thoughts on his loss. Thank you its just what I needed. Early days but definitely helped me
by Steve Burridge
Bought this after loosing my 13 year old border collie a few months ago. It was lovely to read and yes it made me cry more than once. However it was helpful to understand its normal to have all sorts of emotions and that everyone is different . Definitely recommend to anyone who has lost their companion recently.
by Char
Purchased for my mum who was grieving after we lost our family westie. She was in tears and smiling throughout reading this, very emotional read! Wish I would have given it too her sooner. I believe these sorts of books really help with post grief the before stages of losing your dog.
by MR A PYOTT
I absolutely loved how sincere Jeannie was with her thoughts & feelings. I really felt like she see & feel the pain I am in right now. We lost our Amber Moon on 28th April 2021 after a short illness, strangely enough, it started much the same as Herbie’s with a cough & after tests, was diagnosed with a heart murmur. She lasted 8 months from diagnosis.
Herbie’s story has made me realise that I am not weird because I feel like I will never get used to losing her. Not everyone understands the loss of a pet, but I now know that I don’t have to explain myself to everyone.
Absolutely fabulous reading. Thank you
by meens
Having very recently said goodbye to our beautiful little boy Ralph last week I have been overcome with grief. After reading countless websites about the grief process following pet loss I kept coming across this book title and thought why not, it can’t hurt to read, nothing can cause any more pain than I am feeling right now. It was as though the book was written for me. It resonated with every thought and feeling I am currently experiencing and I took great comfort in that. As the author says, this book in no way is going to take your pain away. I’m sure nothing can. It did however give my feelings validation. Just knowing that others are going through or have gone through the same experiences was cathartic to me. I miss my Ralph each and every single moment I am awake. I’m currently taking things minute by minute and I’m sure I’ll mourn his loss for the rest of my life, but just knowing that there is an end to this feeling of total despair is warming. The waves are crashing over me but I know they will get smaller as time goes by. Thank you for a lovely read!
by MR A PYOTT
A month ago I lost my beautiful 17yo spaniel, Poppy, and I was overwhelmed with my feelings of grief. I knew losing her would be awful, but it was worse than I could have imagined. I find great comfort in reading and so searched for a book that might help me and this was perfect. So beautifully written, and addresses every aspect of my feelings. I am so sorry that the author had to experience such pain to write it so I am so pleased she shared it with us. It is a joy to read and I am so glad I did. Rest in peace my lovely girl and thank you Jeannie for helping me.