Oh, It Aches and Tears: Real Talk on Pet Death and Getting Through
perzine, Lauren Melissa, [email protected], The Wheelhouse
The purpose of this zine is to share personal stories about pet loss and give grieving tips to those who are experiencing similar grief. There is also another purpose that runs through the zine. Lauren isn’t just writing to those who experience pet grief, she is also writing to the critics that would question the existence of a zine like this in the first place. She classifies these people as those who don’t “get it.” Those who would say things like, “But, it’s only a cat.”
While I think every experience is a valid one, she is writing to me. I am someone who doesn’t get it. As a child, when my family took a trip to the local vet to put our snap-happy dog down, my entire family was crying in the van. At 10 years old, I said, “Uhh, it’s just a dog.” Those who want pet grieving tips should buy this zine but even those, like me, who don’t get it should also pick it up. It’s an incredible look into why people value pets so much, sometimes more than other humans.