Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet

"As a Christian, I knew going into this book that the author is a minister of a Unitarian "church" that is not recognized as Biblical Christianity, so I accounted for that. This church's theology rejects Christ as the Son of God and equal with God, and their faith is guided more by reason and science than by the Word of God. Hence, there is a sense of spiritual and even emotional detachment when dealing with experiences and emotions. So I'll say at the top here that many of his expressions of faith come across as 'detached', so you'll have to move on from that and consider his presentation of nature and "the circle of life" which does have some benefit.

Kowalski's scientific approach held some value for me because it helped me to reconcile the fact that losing my dogs (I lost both within 5 months of one another) was natural, beneficial for them and an experience of life at its most natural. In other words, death is a natural part of life; so if you prefer a more scientific-type approach to these matters, his writing may appeal to you. He does express his own love for his pets, there are some quotes in the begining of each chapter that are nice, and you'll find some compassion and affirmation there, but his view is so scientific in nature that you may imagine a very composed, straight face looking at you and saying, "Friend, it's a part of life. It's the way it is. Embrace it." Personally, I like a better balance between that sort of reality and the ability to reach into one's emotional experience at the same time.

I think I highlighted a handful of helpful thoughts as I went through the book, and overall I appreciated his writing, but it was one of those books, for me anyway, where one reading sufficed. Whereas, another book "Coping with Sorrow on the Loss of Your Pet", was a much more practical, walk-with-you approach that I gained an abundance from by comparison to Kowalski's book. It was much more therapeutic for me.

God bless you and bring peace to you as you go through this time of grief, and if you are looking to buy a book for a friend who is going through it, I personally would recommend the above-mentioned book by Moira Anderson before this one. "
~ Written on 2008-10-05

"I don't know, I guess I didn't care for the religion part, but it didn't really help. But then again, maybe nothing helps when you lose your dog. Maybe it's just me, but I didn't like it at all."
~ Written on 2008-08-30

"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. "
~ Written on 2008-04-07

"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."
~ Written on 2008-01-19

"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."
~ Written on 2007-11-24