Coping with Pet Loss: Remembering Bunny and Finding Peace

Coping with Pet Loss: Remembering Bunny and Finding Peace
By Michelle Nichols, AHELP Founder

I usually send holiday cards. Every year, I gather our best family photos—me, my husband, our daughter, and our two beloved Boston Terriers. But this year, I just couldn’t do it.

There was a hole in my heart.

Our dear dog, Bunny, passed away suddenly on November 14, 2024. The loss was devastating. My husband first noticed something was wrong when Bunny’s brother, Teddy, stood frozen, staring at her. She looked like she was peacefully sleeping—but she wasn’t. I rushed over, only to find her still, her tongue protruding. I had seen that expression before, and my heart shattered.

I cried out as Chris ran to my side. Desperate, I tried mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but it was too late. She was already gone. The hardest part? She had died alone—just 20 feet away from me in my office.

We wept as we held her lifeless body, then clung to each other as we went through the painful motions of saying goodbye—setting up her altar so she looked beautiful in her LAST DAYS WITH US. Something we’ve had to do too many times before.

No Other Dog Like Bunny

Bunny was irreplaceable. Chris always said her bodily form would be with us for as long as the Dalai Lama lived, meaning she would return as a great spiritual leader. I used to call her my Buddha Bunny.

She touched so many lives. This photo from Christmas 2023 captures that. I swear—you could see into her soul. That’s why I felt called to share her light through animal-assisted therapy. Over the years, Bunny became a beloved presence at King County Libraries, where she helped children build confidence in reading, and later at Seattle Children’s Hospital, where she comforted young patients and their families. Her impact was immeasurable.

Grieving and Finding Resilience

Losing Bunny came at a pivotal time. I had just re-launched Partners to the Bridge Animal Hospice Coaching, with a focus on resilient grieving—a concept I now had to apply to my own life.

I am beyond grateful for my family’s support as we navigated the holidays without her. We honored our rituals at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I couldn’t bring myself to send those year-in-review cards. And that’s okay. I’m learning to give myself grace.

Thanks to self-care and the resilient grieving techniques I now teach, I am gradually feeling more like myself. For the first time, I feel at peace with Bunny’s passing. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t give anything to have her back—I would. But I now understand that loss is part of life.

More than anything, I am grateful for all the love she brought into our lives.

If you’ve experienced the loss of a beloved pet, you are not alone.

Join the conversation in our AHELP Community Private Group on Facebook or explore our Partners to the Bridge Animal Hospice Coaching for guidance on resilient grieving. 💙

( Blog post banner photo: A close up of Bunny, my beloved French Bulldog, looking so sweet while posing on a chair from Christmas 2023. Copyright © AHELP Project. All rights reserved. )