IN THE UK grieving pet owners collectively take 8 million ‘sick days’ a year to get over the death of a pet animal.
Direct Line Pet Insurance say that 79 per cent of people admitted they did not think their boss would be sympathetic and the only way they could get time off work to mourn a pet was by lying and pretending to be sick.
“Losing a pet can often leave a huge void in pet owner’s lives, and many will continue to suffer from deep depression following such a loss,” said Chris Price managing director Direct Line said.
Last week my friend’s dog drew her last breath. Tina’s end was mercifully swift, but that was small consolation for the emptiness he feels for she has now left a bigger hole than the space she occupied in life.
His house is desolate without her. Never again will the marble floors echo to the sound of her delicate paws trotting eagerly from room to room. Never again will he hear her reassuring bark, or receive the always joyous welcome home greeting, followed by a roll over and demanding tummy rub.
Everywhere he turns, there are painful reminders of the presence his little friend had in his life, her bowl of water by the kitchen door, the small bed beside his desk where she would doze for hours while he worked.
Just sitting on the living room sofa is a sorrowful experience, for over the past nine years Tina was always with him, stretched out happily across his lap.
To acquire a dog is to invite grief into your life. Their lives are so brief and some, no doubt, will find it absurd to become so distressed over the loss of a pet. How they ask can one possibly mourn the passing of a dog with the same intensity one might show towards a human friend or relative?
I know it is wrong to sentimentalise dogs, and that a canine love affair will always leave one open to ridicule. I also know it’s wrong to regard them as all but human – except for their superiority of character – and no doubt this infuriates people who come from parts of the world where people are far less pampered than Tina was when she was alive.
Yet all dog owners know their pet has an inherent dignity often lacking in humans, and their good example will often rub off on their owners, because the love of a dog is an utterly pure thing. They give a trust which is total, as well as providing companionship, education, entertainment and a seemingly endless level of mutual affection.
This bond of unconditional love is unlike that experienced between humans. Dogs are basically simple souls who ask only for the most basic shelter, food and water. In return they give us unbounded, unflinching, continuous affection.
A dog somehow also represents the private side of life, the play side, and that’s why anyone who has experienced the true devotion of a pet will understand and know immediately the agony of my friend’s loss.
Tina was a cross between a poodle, a terrier, and a human being. She had the fidelity of a canine and the wisdom of a philosopher, and there will never be anyone quite like her.
The hope is that my friend’s life was and will continue to be brighter because of the nine years he shared with his dog. This is surely the best testament to the value of any pet’s existence.
When his own dog Boatswain died, Lord Byron wrote on his tomb:
“Near this spot are deposited the remains of one who possessed beauty without vanity,
Strength without insolence, courage without ferocity and all the virtues of man without his vices.”
