Anyone who has lost a pet, especially during a holiday season, will understand the loss and heartache I have been feeling. I know some will think, “He was just a cat”. To me however, my cat Figaro was not just a cat, he was a friendly, furry face that made me smile each and every day and I loved him. His sudden death at age seven left me feeling overwhelmed with grief. My friends and family helped me through the initial shock with comforting words, cards, and hugs, and let me talk about him as much as I needed to. For that I have been grateful.

I work at the Humane Society of Huron Valley and I know that people come to terms with the death of a beloved pet in their own way. The Humane Society of the United States website offers some ideas for people going through the pet grieving process. I encourage people to reach out for help if they need it. To some, like me, their pet is considered a family member and that loss is difficult. The Association of Pet Loss and Bereavement also offers free support and is an excellent resource.

I can never replace Figaro, but to my surprise, a cat named Murphy is helping me heal. Murphy and I are featured in the latest installment of “Talk with Tanya”, the blog by our Executive Director, Tanya Hilgendorf. Please take a moment to read our story and when the time is right, I invite you to visit the shelter and see if one of our many homeless pets can help heal your heart as well.

At first I was embarrassed to be featured in Tanya’s blog because I don’t enjoy the spotlight and I was worried that people would think it was too soon for me to adopt another cat, but a conversation with a young woman who adopted a dog last week made me change my mind. Like me, she fell in love again and gave a senior dog a forever home this holiday season. With so many homeless pets in shelters, every adoption into a caring home is a gift. I’m grateful for each and every adoption and as 2009 draws to a close, I thank everyone who opened their heart and home to our pets. Thank you from everyone at the Humane Society of Huron Valley!

Deb Kern is the Marketing Director for the Humane Society of Huron Valley and the proud mom of 3 cats (Sid, Shea & Murphy). Deb can be reached at deb@hshv.org. www.hshv.org

Click here for more pet news. Send your pet news to suzysherman@annarbor.com.