Customer Reviews

Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After losing my beloved cat "Red" to cancer, I began searching for something about the death of animals and where they may go. It was a hard search...something people do not talk about these days. I found Goodbye Friend and it helped relieve the sorrow and pain of losing Red. It also helps to understand that what you are going through is normal. Also that you are not crazy because you grieve for your "family member" (e.i. pet) like a human. It helps to understand that everyone has their own process to get through their own loss. The poems and little stories were nice to reflect upon. This book barely touches on animal afterlife...but is a very good book with good information, reflective thoughts and validates your emotions and what you are experiencing. Another good book which has short stories of afterlife happenings of pets is "The Soul of Your Pet". ---- Bless all who have loved and lost a special animal companion for your lives are the richer!

I read this book a few months ago after I had to put my pal Puddin Head to sleep after 11 wonderful years. This book gave me the most comfort and relief of the four I read. In fact, the reason I am here is to order another copy for my best friend who is facing this ordeal today.

I was desperately searching for some comfort after the loss of my beloved dog, when my daughter found this book for me. This book was such help and comfort and made me feel better after reading it. Of course, I cried a lot during my reading of the book but it is very healing. I was very impressed that the author knows the heartache that many people experience in losing their pet that he took a six-month sabbatical leave to write this book in order to help people deal with their loss. I am truly grateful to him for doing this.

Please read this book if you are suffering from the loss of your pet. This book can help bring you comfort.

This is a short book which I read almost in one sitting. It is beautifully written, and I cried a lot while reading it. (In fact, the title, "Goodbye, Friend" made me cry just about every time I saw it). But the chapters are too short. The inevitability of death and how it integrates into nature's (and God's) plan is mentioned often.

My beloved cat and best friend was only 5 years old when she was tragically killed by a car a few weeks ago. This book mainly focusses on comforting those who's animal has lived a long full life and has now passed on. There are only a few pages devoted to sudden, accidental death of a young animal who should have lived much longer. I needed more comfort than this book could give, for this case. It is a lovely book, but it did not help much in my situation.

Recommended as a short, comforting read for those who's animal has aged and died (or had to be euthanized), but not recommended for someone in the shock and extreme grief of suddenly losing their animal in the prime and vitality of it's life.

I recently lost my beloved Big Boy, Major. I purchased several books to help ease the pain and provide insight into understanding my feelings and how to cope with them. This book was by far the best. It is extremely well thought out and addresses the loss of a pet from a number of angles. The quotes and poems were a very nice touch.

Anyone who has experienced the loss of a beloved pet should read this insightful book of Rev. Kowalski's. A truly comforting help for those attempting to accept the loss and cope with heartbreak during their bereavement.

I recently lost my cat of 16 years to cancer. And we lost his brother last year to another type of cancer. It was extremely hard. I bought a few books to get me through this hard time. I found this book very comforting during this grief period. Saying goodbye to both of my cats was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. But after reading this book, it gave me a spirtual, comforting, uplifting feeling.

It will take awhile to get over my babies, but in the meantime, I have plenty of wonderful memories to remember them by and to help me get through.

In his new book, GOODBYE, FRIEND, Gary Kowalski writes about the connection people feel for their animal companions and the depth of the loss often experienced when these friends die. His voice is authoritative, spiritual, and calming. Like his 1991 book, THE SOULS OF ANIMALS, this book celebrates our profound and humbling kinship with our fellow creatures.

The book covers subjects like talking to children about death, the healing power of nature and creating ceremonies to honor a dead pet. The author, who was facing the prospect of losing his own dog, Chinook, when he wrote this book, shares some beautiful reflections on birth and death and the continuum of life. His love for his own dog, his wisdom about animals, and his gentle, reflective spirit have combined to create a poignant and wonderful book

After 2 painful weeks as our beloved 18 year old cat declined rapidly, we made the decision to end his suffering this morning. This book not only helped us make that difficult decision, but provided comfort and strength to us thoughout the ordeal. Perhaps most important is the author's validation of our feelings and acknowledgement that our animals are very important parts of our lives. I'd recommend this book to anyone, and I am on line now to buy two more copies as gifts- one for the wonderful vet who came to our home this morning and helped our friend to a gentle, peaceful passing.

I've never written a review, but am compelled to rate this book in the hope that it will touch someone else who is in my situation. I highly recommend this book for anyone dealing with the loss of a pet, no matter what type of pet they may have. I had my friend of 6 years, my guinea pig Creampuff, euthanized yesterday. Because she was such a small animal, I felt embarassed about how deeply I'm hurting for her and didn't think that others would understand why I'm in pain. This book helped me accept my sadness and reinforced that I'm not alone in grieving for my pet, even a pet as little as she was. Mr. Kowalski is comforting and empathetic without being falsely sentimental or using empty cliches, as some books on grief tend to do. The range of animals pictured in the book, from gerbils and ducks to dogs and horses (and even a guinea pig), reflect Mr. Kowalksi's message that no person's pet-loss grief is insignificant. Many books deal with the loss of larger animals such as cats and dogs, but this book is truly written with owners of all animals in mind.