Anyone who is an animal person can sympathize with how much having a pet can take over somebody’s life. Heck, when you spend so much time with some silly little creature in your house who depends on you for their every need, it’s easy to get attached even when you were initially skeptical about the matter (see the dad who doesn’t want a dog/cat meme). 

As a result, losing a pet can be a devastating experience for even the most stoic of individuals. Much like all major, upsetting life events, this often doesn’t happen at a convenient time, either. 

Relationships can be tested when somebody loses a companion animal, as not everyone is going to understand the depth of the grief. By the same token, people sometimes have priorities that they are expected to overcome the mourning period for. Unfortunately, the world doesn’t grind to a halt just because of personal tragedy.