We once had a foster puppy named Drew. When I sat down to write about losing her, I realized — we didn't lose her. We found her. That's the moment I started thinking about all the different names people use for end of life sessions, and why none of them are wrong.

As someone who has said goodbye to many animals — fosters, horses, dogs of my own — here's what I've learned about carrying pet grief instead of trying to fix it.