05/17/2026
Today is my soul dog Bella’s birthday. If you’ve followed me for a while, you know we lost her unexpectedly to hemangiosarcoma when she was only eight years old. She would have been 13 today. And in one week, it will be five years since she’s been gone.
I wanted to take a moment today to talk about grief after pet loss, especially when that pet was your soul dog.
Ever since the day she left us, people have often told me, “It gets better with time.” And I know those words come from a good place. But I’ve never been someone who sugarcoats things. The pain doesn’t really get better. You just learn how to carry it. You take it day by day because you have no other choice. But time itself doesn’t erase the hurt.
There are still days I choke up thinking about her. I still feel anxiety driving past the spot on the highway where she laid down in the backseat of our car and passed away on the way to the emergency vet.
I know some people probably judge me for still talking about her this way. For still grieving this deeply after all these years. And honestly, that’s okay. To me, it just means they’ve never had to carry the kind of heartbreak that comes with losing a dog they truly loved.
Losing a dog is devastating when they are family. Losing them unexpectedly is an entirely different kind of pain.
So if you’re mourning your dog, I want you to know this: there is no timeline for grief. You are not ridiculous for still hurting. You are not dramatic. You are not “too emotional.” You simply loved deeply, and that love doesn’t disappear just because they’re gone.
You have every right to grieve your dog for as long as you need to.
And if you ever feel like the people around you don’t understand, or you just need someone to talk to about your dog, my inbox is always open.
Don’t ever be ashamed of how much you loved them.
And don’t ever be ashamed of how much you miss them.
