I lost my dog this Dudley this past July due to age and illness. That was my baby. I got him when he was 7 weeks old and he passed away at the ripe old age of 10. I had a rough time dealing with it and still do and it is the middle of September. Does anyone have any suggestions or stories of what they have done to help overcome this feeling of grief and void? Please help. Thanks

First, let me begin by expressing my deepest sympathy. Losing a loved one of any variety - feathered, furry or human - is never an easy experience.

In June 2006, I lost the first bird that I'd ever owned. His name was Peanut, and he was a green Quaker Parrot. He died in a tragic accident in which he'd escaped from his cage while my wife and I were at work. As he walked and fluttered around the apartment, our cat stood by and watched. Before long, her instincts took over, and Peanut was gone. My wife and I came home to a terrible mess. We both loved Peanut with all of our hearts, and the entire experience was devastating.

While our experiences are not identical, some similarities exist. Even today, more than two years later, I still have difficulty watching videos of Peanut or looking at pictures. The pain never truly goes away, but we found solace in almost immediately adopting another Quaker Parrot, Pippin - not to replace Peanut, but to fill the void that he left behind.

For us, we'd settled into such a routine around our bird that everything we did somehow reminded us of him and the grief that we were now facing. That routine was changed a little with the introduction of the birds that we have today.

Hang in there, and know that you touched Dudley's life just as he touched yours. When you think you're ready, consider sharing your home and your heart with another dog that will be special in its own ways too.

I am sorry for your loss. Only time can heal your pain. I lost my little Heidi (dachshund) last year in Sept. It was very, very sudden. It was something very totally unexpected. She was fine one minute and the next we were rushing her to ER. We had to make an awful decision that night because we found out she had an inoperable brain tumour. I got little Heidi when she was 2 months old and had her for 14 yrs.
The best thing to do is try to remember all of the joy Dudley brought to your life and not the night he died.

I had to put down my 16 yr old dog Hayley in July. She was my first "baby",we got her when she was 5 weeks old. It was the worst thing I have ever gone through in my entire life, I couldn't sleep for weeks. Honestly, only time will heal your pain, and even then I don't know if we ever get over it, the pain just lessens somewhat. Just try to remember the good times. We got another dog last Xmas, kind of knowing in the back of our minds that Hayley wasn't going to be around much longer,and I know that definitely helped a little. So sorry for your loss.