Grief and Pet Loss
For many people, a pet is more than just an animal, they are like a member of the family and when they die, it can cause people to grieve in the same way as if they have lost a beloved family member. If your animal was a significant part of your life, such as a guide or companion animal, you will experience multiple losses and a more intense sense of grief.
If you live alone and your pet was your only companion, you might feel the loss and grieve more deeply than someone whose pet was not such an integral part of their life.
Many people do not understand the intensity of emotions and attachment that some people experience with their pets and they might try to minimize a person's grief after the loss of their pet, which only compounds the sense of loss and grief for the one grieving.
A person must grieve, when they sustain a loss in life...no matter what the cause. Grief is a normal and natural response to loss of any kind and should not be minimized by anyone.
Here are some resources to help you cope with your grief over the loss of your pet.
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/grief-loss/coping-with-pet-loss.htm