Pet Memorial Day brings both tears and hope

A solemn ceremony drew people from Kentucky and East Tennessee to UT Sunday afternoon with the idea that saying goodbye to loved ones is a little easier when others are by your side, doing the same.

"If God made heaven for humans, what would it be like with children and no little animals?" Mae Belle Ezell asked the group of 30 people.

Ezell stood before them remembering her dog Casey who died in 2007.

"Casey was the love of my life. I laid on the floor with him when he had his seizures," she said.

Just like the best friends of those gathered with Ezell, eventually, the time came to say goodbye to Casey.

"Casey is in Heaven. When we get there, we'll see him," Ezell said.

Since his death, she's been participating in the annual Pet Memorial Day hosted by the UT Veterinary Social Work program.

"When you don't have a community to talk about that, it can way your heart down and you can feel sad and heavy," said UT Veterinary Social Work Director Dr. Elizabeth Strand. "People really grieve over their companion animals. Having an event like this helps everyone to recognize that it is a real loss, it's an important loss and it deserves our time and attention."

The 3-hour ceremony gave participants the chance to share memories, light candles, and pray together.

"For the love they brought us, for what they taught us, help us to remember them but also to let them go," prayed Rev. Thom Rasnick of St. John's Cathedral.

Pet memorial day is a national event. This year was the third annual day of remembrance.

Though the ceremony doesn't change the past, organizers hope it eases some of the pain of the future.

"That through our activities today, people will walk out of here today feeling understood and with a lighter heart," Dr. Strand said.

Those seeking grief counseling or other aid due to the loss of a companion animal can call the Veterinary Social Work program at(865)755-8839.