A touching article in today’s Los Angeles Times describes the void that the passing of a pet leaves in the hearts of those who love them.

Anyone who lives with a dog understands how much they become woven into our lives. They provide us with love, companionship and laughter; they get us out of the house, out of our self-absorption and get us involved in the greater world around us.

But when a pet passes on, many of our non-pet owning friends don’t understand the intensity of the loss. Many people don’t see how the loss of a pet could be as difficult as the loss of a human friend or family member.

FidoUniverse.com lists a wide variety of resources to deal with the loss of a beloved pet, including:

• At-home veterinary and euthanasia services.
• Grief support groups.
• LA’s two pet memorial parks, Los Angeles Pet Memorial Park in Calabasas and Pet Haven Cemetery and Crematory in Gardena.
• Memorial markers and custom urns.