In this paper the author explores the process of mourning as experienced by bereaved pet owners. Losing a pet is an agonizing experience. It was expected that the process of mourning for a pet loss would be similar to the process associated with the loss of a human. Data were collected by viewing postings on the alt.support.grief.pet-loss newsgroup. Those who suffered the loss of a pet expressed qualities associated with Parks' (1987) four-phased process of mourning. Two serendipitous findings were the role of guilt and the strong belief in an afterlife for the pet.
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