You take a furry friend home with you, bond with him and care for him for many, many years. Many memories are made and time spent together is precious. All too soon the pet dies and you mourn the passing as if it was a family member who died. Your grief is just as real as if a human had died. Others who do not have pets sometimes find it difficult to understand the need to grieve for pets when they die. Other pet owners will understand the bond that had formed and the loss that you suffer.