Storytelling When a Family Pet Dies

Stories that feature your family pet (dog, cat, lizard, rabbit, bird, or fish) are bound to be popular with your child. Our own Clem the Detective Dog CD is based on a quirky family dog with a crooked tail and the intelligence and snoopiness of a private eye. But when your child’s beloved pet dies, storytelling may be the last thing on your mind. Think again. Telling stories about a departed animal friend can do much to help ease the pain of Fido’s or Taffy’s loss. The ASPCA’s special section for children, Animaland, has useful advice on helping young children deal with the death of a family pet. It suggests ways for kids to honor the memory of their pet, such as writing a story about your cat’s life. If you need help getting started, check out the kids’ book My Pet Died (Let’s Make a Book About It), by Rachel Biale (Tricycle Press, 1997). This book (written for preschoolers and young children) is a combination journal (for kids to record their memories) and scrapbook, with spaces for drawings or photos of the pet.