Blue Cross dedicated Pet Loss Support Service has helped a Suffolk lady to come to terms with the death of her horse.Vikki Compton was advised by vets to have her horse Bella, who she had owned for 13 years, put to sleep after the Thoroughbreds arthritis worsened.It was an awful decision and I struggled with it, said Vikki. Even as I was giving Bella a final kiss and cuddle, I wanted to shout at the vet to stop the process. Afterwards I was wracked with guilt.Vikki with BellaMaybe I hadnt fought for Bella hard enough? My partner tried to be sympathetic but he isnt as much of an animal lover as me so didnt feel the pain as deeply. And I had to hold it together in front of my daughter Ava, who was two at the time. But inside I beat myself up.Struggling to copeMy mental health suffered and eventually I was offered counselling sessions through work.During a counselling session, Vikkis therapist told her about the Blue Cross Pet Loss Support Service, a free, confidential helpline which offers emotional support to owners suffering from the trauma of losing a pet whether through death, rehoming, theft or other loss.Crying down the phone was a release. Then the PLS volunteer mentioned the Blue Cross private, moderated Facebook group for people grievingpets. I joined and wrote a long post about Bella and the guilt I was experiencing. Within hours, Id received lots of supportive messages, including one from someone else whod had to make the decision to put ahorsewith painful arthritis to sleep. Chatting to her really helped,said Vikki.Vikki became a regular member of the group and she found the support of its members helped her to process her guilt.Another lossJust a few months later, Vikki needed the support of the group once again when she had to have Arthur Jones, an English mastiff who she had adopted from a local rescue centre, put to sleep due to arthritis.Vikkis dogs Charlie and Arthur JonesThere wasnt the same guilt as with Bella because I knew it was AJs time, explained Vikki.Still, afterwards I missed everything about him, even his snoring. Then, a week after he died, Charlie (Vikkis Springer Spaniel) was diagnosed with cancer and needed three lumps removed and biopsied. He was like a lost soul without his big brother and now he had to go through surgery.It was an awful time and I turned to the Blue Cross Facebook group for support. So many people think: its just an animal. But the other members of the Facebook group knew, like me, thatpets are family. So when they die were losing a family member.Fortunately Charlie made a full recovery.Supporting othersMy whole family exhaled. They had been so worried how Id cope if I lost Charlie too, said Vikki, who still regularly visits the group to offer support to other people.I respond to people who have just lost theirpets or are in that awful situation of knowing its time to say goodbye but feeling guilty about it.I have Bellas ashes in one corner and on the wall theres a beautiful, framed photo of Arthur with an inscription about him being my teammate and his collar mounted above his ashes. When I look at them I feel sad but happy too that I got to share my life with such amazing animals.The Blue Cross Pet Loss Support Service, which is open daily between 8.30am and 8.30pm, helped 25,000 people in 2024.Related contentHow to tell if a horse is happyUK bans live export of horses for slaughterPetition set up with the aim of updating the Dangerous Dogs Act to better protect horsesPublic attitudes towards horse sport on the right track but there is still more to doLearn to read your horses body language with this expert adviceThe post Charity support service helps owner after loss of her horse appeared first on Your Horse.