‘Sleep well my sweet prince’: dog lovers burst into tears over owner’s sweet tribute to Labrador
Sleep well my sweet prince
Dog lovers have been left in tears after a grieving owner left a touching tribute to his deceased Labrador on a beach in the UK.
After the death of his beloved dog Rex, the anonymous owner from Exmouth left behind a box of tennis balls next to a photo of the deceased dog.
The message – that on the Exmouth Community UK Facebook page – reads: ‘The best of good dogs.
“Rex loved the beach, Rex loved the ball. Please feel ball for your dog and I hope you enjoy this place as much as we do.
“Rex – sleep well my red prince.”
Rex’s owner left a beautiful tribute on Exmouth Beach (pictured) and offered other dogs tennis balls so they could enjoy the place as much as he did
The post of the tribute and sweet offer to other dogs was flooded with thoughts, comments and messages, racking up nearly 2,000 likes in a matter of hours.
Many commented on how lovely the owner’s gesture was, while some struggled to keep it together in memory of Rex.
One person wrote, “Well that put me off. Blow near my eye.’
‘This really brought tears to my eyes! X,” added another animal lover.
Someone else gushed, “Oh my heart goes out to you, what a wonderful gesture to leave at Rex’s favorite place xx”
Losing a pet is likened by psychologists to losing a family member, with one of them explaining why the death of an animal is so painful.
In an exclusive conversation with FEMAIL, clinical psychologist Dr. Pat Franklin commented, “It’s just as painful, because it’s about attachment. If the significant attachment figure is a pet rather than a person, then the loss is the same. It’s the loss of a key figure.’
“For people who live alone with a pet, and they don’t have a person they’re close to, they just have a pet they’re close to, it’s worse.”
The sweet tribute to Rex by his owner was too much for some people, causing them to burst into tears
She continued, “When you have parents and children, siblings and a lot of people in your life, it can fall into a slightly different category. But if the animals in your life are your main attachment figures, then your loss is the same as for a person.
Sadness is widely recognized as one of the most difficult emotions humans ever face.
‘Losing loved ones is so important that different cultures have created their own rituals to say goodbye to people who have passed away. So why don’t we treat the death of beloved companion animals equally seriously?
“People rarely hold funerals for dogs or memorial services for cats. Mourners rarely get together to share fond memories of dear furry friends who have passed away.”
Consultant Practitioner Psychologist Ingrid Collins, who is the director of The Soul Therapy Center in London, agrees that the death of an animal can be very painful.
“Every death of a loved one is painful, and the pain is in direct measure of the quality of the relationship we enjoyed with that loved one,” explains Ingrid, who is also a co-author of Bandit Burmilla Babies: Intimate Conversations with a Family of cats of love, pregnancy, birth, death and divorce.
“Often our pets hold a special place in our hearts because the connection is generally so honest and uncomplicated.
“In return for our care, compassion, and concern for their well-being, pets provide us with a loving connection to the natural world, and they are more honest than most humans in expressing emotions.”