Helping children cope with the death of a pet

The death of a pet can be a traumatic experience for the whole family. For a young child, it can also be confusing-it's often the first time a child must deal with such loss. In many cases, the pet has been with the family since before the child's birth, so he or she has grown up with the pet as a real part of the family. Children tend to relate to pets as playmates, so the loss, to a child, is often the loss of a best friend.
Helping children cope with the death of a pet