Handling the death of a beloved pet

One night, about eleven o’clock, my phone rang. It was a little girl who was one of my students at the time. She was sobbing so uncontrollably that I could scarcely make out her words. “Mr. Talley, my new puppy got ran over tonight by a car in front of the house.  I knew you’d want to know about it. Will you help me bury him tomorrow, after school?”

Of course I said, “Yes.”

Then her mother got on the phone and discussed with me about her little girl’s desire to become a veterinarian some day.  Mom asked me very kindly that I please not talk to her child at all about becoming a vet, at least not just yet. “Mr. Talley, she can’t even think about becoming a vet until she brings her grades up.”  (The child was a ‘C’ student, so mom honestly thought this type of approach would inspire her to improve academically. No, this was not an intentionally “mean” mom, at all. Please keep that in mind.)

Mom spoke on. “Mr. Talley, another reason she can’t be a vet is because I don’t want to ever get another puppy. She will be too hurt if another one dies. She was supposed to be watching this one and it got out somehow. The guilt is killing her. I can’t stand to see my little girl hurt like this again.”

After school the next day, as we buried the child’s beloved puppy, the following words came to my heart. So I followed them. I stooped down, looked straight into the child’s eyes. With her mother standing by her side, I said to the child, “You know, someday you are going to be the most wonderful veterinarian. I am absolutely certain of it.”

Then I stood up, turned to her somewhat perplexed mother, and said, “And your mom is going to be so glad that she encouraged you to do it. I’m bringing your little girl a new puppy this weekend, Ms. ____.”

Mom opened her mouth to attempt to refuse my offer (as was easily discerned by the look on her face at the moment), but I quickly and sincerely hugged them both. (As I said earlier, this was not a “mean” mother. Like most every mother I’ve ever met, she honestly and dearly loved her child.)