A biblical perspective of pet loss

By Kara Petroske

As My Daughter Held Our Dying Puppy

As my youngest daughter clutched our sick and dying puppy, he took his final breath. Paige sobbed, “Why did he have to go through this? Why did he have to die?”

I didn’t want to offer a quick or easy answer—those only leave questions lingering, unanswered, and aching.

Wiping my own tears, I gently explained that because of the fall of man—when people chose sin over God’s command—sickness and death didn’t just affect humans, but all of creation. “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now” (Romans 8:22, KJV).

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My First Goodbye

When I was very young, my dad brought home our first puppy, a Labrador Retriever. Mom wasn’t too thrilled, but she accepted him as part of the family, and we named him Buck—after Buck Rogers. We were blessed to share 15 joyful years with our playful, furry friend. But after battling cancer twice, my parents decided it was time to put him to rest.

“Put him to rest”—what did that even mean? I was 15, and I hadn’t yet faced loss. I accepted the decision, and we took a few photos hugging him one last time. But when it came time for the procedure, my parents didn’t allow my brother or me to go.

My mom believed that if we didn’t see him die, we wouldn’t fully feel the pain of it. I understand her reasoning. She once told me that when her own father died at age 16, she felt almost unaffected—until she saw him at the funeral. Only then did it truly hit her that he was gone. Grief is like that: it waits until the heart is ready to feel.

Her choice was to protect us from the harshest part of grief. For some, that approach works. But others need closure—or the wound remains open.

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Understanding Grief

Looking back, I didn’t feel closure after saying goodbye to Buck. Maybe I would have, if we’d brought him home to bury him. Every child and adult grieves differently. We can’t protect our kids from grief entirely. They must be allowed to process it in their own way.

Grief helps build empathy. It allows us to feel what others feel when they lose someone—or something—they love.

After Buck’s death, it never crossed my mind to get another dog. I didn’t want one. In fact, I rolled my eyes at “dog people,” baffled by those who treated pets like human babies. I thought, What weirdos!

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But God Had Other Plans

Twenty years later, a toy poodle named Katie landed in my lap—gifted by a dear friend who had passed away. And here we are today, making dreams come true for families through our own poodle puppies.

Raising pups, we’ve faced the reality of pet loss more often than most families. But we also get to witness the overwhelming joy these little guys bring to others. It’s absolutely worth it.

We’re often asked, “How do you let the puppies go?”

We explain to our clients: this is our purpose. This is what we were meant to do—to help complete families in today’s world.

Dogs aren’t just cute companions. They provide emotional support, reduce anxiety, find missing people, and help solve crimes. There’s nothing quite like man’s best friend.

Because we’re very selective with our placements, we feel confident that each pup is going to a loving, worthy home.

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Explaining Loss to Children

As Paige cried over the puppy—asking why we had to lose him. I reminded her of something we’ve talked about many times. While I personally believe there will be animals in heaven, I don’t rely on that belief to explain the role of death in the animal kingdom.

What we tell our children is this: God has a plan for animals, even after they die.

“A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast” (Proverbs 12:10, KJV).

Animals are a gift from God, meant for us to love and care for. That care includes meeting their physical and emotional needs. We give to them because they give to us. Their needs come before our convenience.

I told Paige, “After our pets die, God designed a natural process where their bodies help nourish the earth.”

I asked, “Remember learning about Native Americans, and how they used fish to fertilize their crops?”

They valued the whole life cycle—nothing was wasted. The death of one life nurtured another. In turn, the earth was blessed and bore fruit.

The body of a pet becomes part of that life-giving cycle. It helps trees grow, flowers bloom, and food thrive. One day, when we eat from that tree or admire its blossoms, we’ll remember that our precious pet played a role in that. They’re not far away—they’re still part of the world around us.

This picture of life and renewal gave my children a sense of closure.

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Grieving With Children

Paige kept the blanket the puppy was wrapped in. She’s very sentimental and has never grown numb to loss. She especially loves the tiniest pups—sadly, the more fragile ones we sometimes lose. She took the blanket to bed that night. Everyone grieves differently, and I had no issue with that.

Other ways to offer keepsakes and comfort include:

• A memorial plaque

• A lock of hair in a locket

• A framed photo or scrapbook

I have a simple photo of Buck sitting in a child’s rocking chair. No fancy setup, just a sweet memory my mom captured—and it still makes me smile.

After a loss like this, we usually gather for comfort food and extra snuggles. It helps ease the heartache.

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In the End…

Grief over a pet is hard. Especially when it’s sudden. But when we help our children walk through loss with honesty, love, and compassion—we teach them something even more important than how to say goodbye. We teach them how to feel, how to empathize, and how to honor life—no matter how small.

And maybe, in time, we also teach them how to open their hearts again.