after a loved pet dies
I sent this and the other Kowalski book to my brother after his best friend, Smokey, died in his arms. He told me that it was helpful as he was grieving.

Wonderful, Very Helpful
After loosing my two girls aged 11 and 12 just 40 days apart, I could not deal with my grief of one much less two. Then after my wonderful Angie crossed over, I was devastated. Both had to be "put down". Our Jessie had a fusing back and went to pee, and collapsed, back breaking and nothing able to be done neither several years ago when x-rays were taken nor when she eventually collapsed.

My Angie, who made me Hers, could not live without her "sister", and I had to let her go was my twelve year old, and I was owned by since she was about four weeks old and rescued. She had her kidneys shutting down and no longer eating. That by far was the most difficult thing I had ever had to do in my life.

After all this grief, I had emergency surgery two days later. I saw them in a field playing together, and did not want to come back. I considered very seriously suicide for over a year just to be with them, as they were my ONLY fiends - for a very hurtful difficult subject. This book helped me deal with my feelings after a year and a half of pain and deep, deep depression.

After reading this book, it helped me deal with the euthanasia, and the fact that I already knew - of seeing them again. It is still very hard and always will be and I know that too. I am no longer suicidal - thank G-D. I will be OK, and I will be reunited with them both, along with all the others I have lost- it just helped me reassure knowing that.

I recommend this book highly for anyone who has lost ANY kind of pet.

Healing words
Loosing a pet is never an easy experience. This book helps us all to realize that we are not alone as we travel down the bumpy road of sad feelings mixed with happy memories.

Not recommended for sudden death of a young animal
This is a short book which I read almost in one sitting. It is beautifully written, and I cried a lot while reading it. (In fact, the title, "Goodbye, Friend" made me cry just about every time I saw it). But the chapters are too short. The inevitability of death and how it integrates into nature's (and God's) plan is mentioned often.

My beloved cat and best friend was only 5 years old when she was tragically killed by a car a few weeks ago. This book mainly focusses on comforting those who's animal has lived a long full life and has now passed on. There are only a few pages devoted to sudden, accidental death of a young animal who should have lived much longer. I needed more comfort than this book could give, for this case. It is a lovely book, but it did not help much in my situation.

Recommended as a short, comforting read for those who's animal has aged and died (or had to be euthanized), but not recommended for someone in the shock and extreme grief of suddenly losing their animal in the prime and vitality of it's life.

Wonderful book
I had just lost my beloved collie to cancer. There was no time to prepare for her loss. By the time we discovered the tumor on her spine, she was beyond hope. I had no choice but to end her suffering and I felt very guilty in not being able to do more for her. This book helped me tremendously. I highly recommend it to anyone who has lost a pet or who is anticipating a loss. Very well written and comforting.