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 Thoroughbred’s 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 Bella

“Maybe I hadn’t fought for Bella hard enough? My partner tried to be sympathetic but he isn’t as much of an animal lover as me so didn’t 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 cope

“My mental health suffered and eventually I was offered counselling sessions through work.”

During a counselling session, Vikki’s 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 grieving pets. I joined and wrote a long post about Bella and the guilt I was experiencing. Within hours, I’d received lots of supportive messages, including one from someone else who’d had to make the decision to put a horse with 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 loss

Just 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.

Vikki’s dogs Charlie and Arthur Jones

“There wasn’t the same guilt as with Bella because I knew it was AJ’s time,” explained Vikki. 

“Still, afterwards I missed everything about him, even his snoring. Then, a week after he died, Charlie (Vikki’s 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: it’s just an animal. But the other members of the Facebook group knew, like me, that pets are family. So when they die we’re losing a family member.”

Fortunately Charlie made a full recovery. 

Supporting others

“My whole family exhaled. They had been so worried how I’d 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 their pets or are in that awful situation of knowing it’s time to say goodbye but feeling guilty about it.

“I have Bella’s ashes in one corner and on the wall there’s 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. 

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