I used the emotional support flair, but it's more of emotional outreach if that makes sense.

I spend a lot of time at a local rescue that's open to the public. I became a regular visitor/sorta volunteer after my childhood dog died and then my parents surrendered a dog with severe aggression issues. It was devastating, because the dig they surrendered opened my eyes to just how connected you can feel to an animal. She was never aggressive toward me, and as corny as it may sound, it felt like we understood each other in a way that I don't often feel understood. I craved that sort of bond so much after she was surrendered, but I'm a college student who can't have their own dog because I'm broke as hell, so going to the rescue was the best I could get at the time. I've also started boarding dogs in the last few months, which has been wonderful.

Recently, I was visiting the rescue and a woman who was there wanted to say hi to a dog that was lounging with her head on my lap, so we naturally started chatting. I asked her if she was just visiting or if she was looking to adopt, and she told me that she had recently lost her dog and she wasn't sure what she needed yet, so she was just visiting and considering fostering. I expressed my condolences, and she said something along the lines of "being here is nice because I know the people here understand how much you can love a dog" and that really stuck with me. It was hard for me to not get emotional and tell her all the reasons I know the pain she's experiencing, but I somehow managed to keep it together until I left. It's heartwarming in a bittersweet sort of way to see how this feeling transcends all the boundaries between people. This wasn't the first time a stranger opened up to me at the rescue, and it's very emotional to see people of all ages and walks of life choosing to talk to some college student that in any other context would be someone they'd likely never turn to for support.

I think a lot of people don't understand the bond you can share with an animal, and that can be really painful when you're coping with a pet passing. That's probably a big part of why so many people come on this sub looking for emotional support when their pet has passed or is going to sleep soon; they know that the people here understand in a way that not everyone else does.

So I just want to say, you're understood by so many people. Your feelings aren't wrong. You can love your dog like a human best friend, like they're your child, you can love them as much as any human in your life. Dogs are exceptional because they give us love in ways that's seldom found elsewhere, and it's natural for that to leave a hole in your heart.

I'm sending love to anyone who has lost a pet recently, especially the lady at the rescue.