The anniversary is coming and the grief is back
This is common. Grief can come back on the anniversary or other special days. It is called an anniversary reaction. It does not necessarily mean you are going backward.
A real example
AP reported in 2025 that writer E.B. Bartels lost her dog, Seymour, the June before. She said she expects a hard time again in June, on the one-year anniversary.
News, Associated Press（NY1 刊登）, 26 Feb 2025Read the original
What others said
「Two years ago today I let my dog go. I still can't stop crying. I miss it.」
Shared online (reworded) Europe, Oct 2026What people do in different places
A temple holds a joint pet memorial every monthJapan | A temple in Setagaya, Tokyo; owners attend
A memorial at the Hachiko statue every AprilJapan | Shibuya Station, Tokyo, for the loyal dog
Donate or plant a tree on a special dayUS | An idea listed by Mayo Clinic
Make the hard days a day to remember the bondUK | Blue Cross pet loss guide
Call a free pet loss support lineUK | Blue Cross, up to 30,000 people a year
Sources
1 post from an owner online: reworded and anonymised, showing only the platform, region and month. We keep the original link privately.
Updated 25 Oct 2026. This page updates daily from owners’ posts.