My friend had a full funeral for his pet dog. He felt it was important to do this. Everyone thought he was nuts and laughs at it behind his back. Who is right; my friend or the ones who think he's nuts?
by 
Vampyre Bat
ANSWERS: 37
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his pet was probably like his family He's right His friends are total asses for talking mess behind his back. True friends would be understanding
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Your friend. Who is anyone else to say what's the right or wrong way to mourn the loss of your pet? It's a very personal situation, your friend did the right thing by honoring the loss of his best friend his own way.
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Everybody who made fun of him behind is back are total asshole. Everybody griefs differently, there's nothing to be made fun of.
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Your friend was right. Any time we lose a pet we always have a little funeral for it then bury it in the backyard
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Clearly his dog was one of his best friends. The folks laughing never were.
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Sure, it may be important to him to help him get over his loss. However, it is injecting ridiculousness into the situation that he feels should be somber. So it's a balance of how much he needed the funeral personally and how much the ridiculousness will demean the loss. Personally, I think a small memorial would have been more appropriate.
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Not a clear right or wrong here. He must have loved that dog very much and the funeral might have given him the closure he needed. If he got something positive out of it, it shouldn't matter much what other people think.
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Your friend needed to do this to deal with his grief. I find it rude that others are laughing at his pain. Shame!!!
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It's your friend's money and he has every right to spend it as he sees fit, whether he's nuts or not! If the funeral was worth it to him, it was right.
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How AWFUL of people to laugh at this poor man. It's very difficult to lose a pet, and I would've had a funeral for any of mine if I could've. There is REAL grieving involved, and it's incredibly painful, and if having a funeral helped him grieve, then there is nothing wrong with it at all. This question almost has me in tears.
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No one is right or wrong in this situation. Your friend obviously cared deeply for his dog, and felt the need to have a funeral to help him grieve. It's pretty mean for them to laugh it behind his back, but they have a right to their opinion.
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Everyone needs to find closure and express their grief in their own way. I'm sorry for his loss and sorry that some people in his life are that insensitive.
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Your friend was right. Those who laughed behind his back are not true friends.
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My brother and Sis-in-law had a bulldozer come in to dig the graves of their beloved dogs.(passed with months of ea other)They Dug 6 feet deep on their property, added tombstones and spared no expense............ Regardless of an animal or human. It's important to some people to experience the grieving process. The funeral is a part of it.
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i wouldnt have a full funeral for a pet but i wouldnt make fun of a friend who did.
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It was his pet, so it was ok to do the funeral as he did. I would not laugh behind his back for this.
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I agree with your friend..its nice to have a funeral for any loved one who passes...its just like laughing at a humans funeral very low and cold hearted
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I might not choose that route, but I would not laugh at anyone who did. Pets are family.
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If it gave him closure and helped him deal with his loss, it was the right thing to do. We all have different needs, and before people laugh at someone for doing something, they should keep that in mind. +5
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Like many things in life there is no right or wrong, only what feels right in your heart. And if this is what felt right than so be it. This dog probably was his best friend unlike mant humans who are not, an animals love is unconditional. And it was his money to spend as he so wished. Here in CA there are many pet cemetery and they have a right to be honored just as a human is. As for the so called friends, they should be ashamed of themselfs
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His dog, his loss, his business how he deals with it. The ones who think he's nuts are that themselves.
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I think your friend was very close to his dog and wanted to celebrate the life they shared together. If he/she had the funds to do this, no one should gossip behind his back. I feel better when I am able to bury my dead cats but it's not always possible. Everyone grieves and heals differently.
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I don't think he is nuts at all...if it helps him and makes him feel better then good for him. I love my dogs so much just like I love my family..I wouldn't have a funeral for my dogs but I would have them cremated and keep the ashes safe with me. I have the ashes of one of my dogs who died 10 years ago..I couldn't bear to part with her or bury her. Some may say im mad but thats their problem :-)
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Once a pet is adopted it becomes a part of that family and if they decide to have a funeral it's their right. Things like that are not cheap but if he had the money more power to him.
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Well it depends, is your friend the kind of man that complains because not enough is done to help the poor? I personally think it is sort of crazy to spend money on burying a dog. It's a dog. Partly because I grew up in a farm family, where there is a clear division between family members and animals. However, as long as the guy doesn't complain about how others spend their money, I don't care.
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maybe he wanted to show respect to his pet an that was his way of doing just that'
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The ones who think he's nuts. It's his money, though. Crazy is as crazy does.
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Your friend. His dog was more intelligent than those that laugh at him.
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Your friend's dog was important to him. He wanted to show his pet what he felt was a proper ending of love & respect for the dog; a doggy burial. There are pet cemetary's. I have 2 friends who actually had their pet's cremated and put in little rock shaped/urns.
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Your question is a little different than the link below, but people really expressed their love for their pet(s) and how they laid them to rest or said goodbye. I lost "my child" on Feb. 14th of this year, it was the hardest days of my life. I never had biologically children so please don't get mad at the comparison. http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/639992
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Are you kidding? It would be nuts if he HADN'T grieved for the dog... he obviously loved the dog very much and the dog probably loved him. The people that laughed at him are ignorant. The hell with them.
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Your friend obviously had more compassion for his dog than his friend have for him.
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knowing how much I love my dog, I find it completely normal to have a funeral and burial for a companion that has been a member of the family for so long. Your friend did the right thing and I applaud him for it. I wish there were more people out there who treated their animals with respect and love instead of abusing, abandoning and using their animals. These are little bits of love that are always happy to see you, who always listen to you and who are always there for you through thick and thin. I think my dog, Spencer, knows more about me then anyone out there!!!!! within reason of course! I fully plan on treating that sad day when it comes just like your friend. Give him a hug from us.
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Whatever helps you cope with the loss is ok.
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I get it, losing a pet can be like losing a family member. When my dog died I didn't have a funeral, I did buy flowers, and it was devastating. However, I did lose a horse and I'm pretty sure, that if back then there were funerals for horses, my whole family would of gone. All depends on the people, if they love animals they would understand.
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Everyone grieves differently.
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Anyone who makes light of something like this has never known a true friend. A dog, if treated right, is the best friend a man can ever have - he's loyal, trustworthy, is always there for you, listens, and even understands many things that you don't realize. Dogs have emotions the same as people and they grieve as well. They comfort you in your sadness and in your loneliness. Dogs fill a void that people can't fill in many cases. So, for those who ridiculed him, they're the losers who have an emptiness within themselves that they'll never fill. And they'll die alone.
Creamcrackered 
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