Grief

Our friends on the farm north of Kingston purchased a pair of Belgian work horses, Dan and Jenny, more than a decade ago. They used them as draught animals for a few years before they became prodigious hay-chomping pets. Although they were reluctant to do so, earlier this year they sold them to a young couple who wanted them to pull a wagon for tours with kids. It sounded like a great transition but a few months later Dan developed cancer, lay down one day, and died.
The couple and our friends were heartbroken. So was Jenny. The couple used a backhoe to dig a huge hole in which they buried Dan. Jenny was inconsolable, squabbling with the other horses on the farm. Then she took to standing near Dan's grave for hours on end.

Can animals other than humans grieve? This example sure seems to say yes, other sentient beings experience loss. We have our rituals to acknowledge loss but that doesn't explain the mystery of grief. Of course virtually every human culture addresses our mortality and the life to come. But we must journey through our grief first.

Have you had experiences with grieving critters? How are you at dealing with loss? Is it getting easier or harder as the years pass?