Going Home: Finding Peace When Pets Die

Written by Jon Katz

Narrated by Tom Stechschulte

In his many New York Times best-sellers, author Jon Katz has illustrated the cherished bond between humans and animals-especially the intense connection to pets. Now, in this moving and thoughtful book, Katz addresses the difficult but necessary process of saying goodbye to a devoted companion, and offers comfort, wisdom, and a way forward from sorrow to acceptance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 27, 2011
• ISBN: 9781461846970

Jon Katz

Jon Katz has written over twenty books, including Talking to Animals, Soul of a Dog, Izzy & Lenore, Dog Days, A Good Dog, and The Dogs of Bedlam Farm. He has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Slate, Rolling Stone, Wired, and the AKC Gazette. He has worked for CBS News, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. Katz is also a photographer and the author of a children’s book, Meet the Dogs of Bedlam Farm. He lives on Bedlam Farm in upstate New York with the artist Maria Heinrich; his dogs Izzy, Lenore, and Frieda; and his barn cats, Mother and Minnie.

Reviews for Going Home

[marsap_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Written by Jon Katz, the author of the Bedlam Farm stories--this book deals with the loss of a pet, through his personal experiences of loss. What I particularly liked was his discussion of not just the loss but planning for the loss--so that when the time comes, which it will, there will be a plan. This could almost be an advanced planning or end of life planning for our pets. The stories are sweet and sad, and the advice well thought out. 4 1/2 out 5 stars.

[khiemstra631 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Having just lost a pet a couple of weeks ago, I have anxiously awaited the arrival of this book. I found it well worth the wait. One of his Katz's contentions is that people need to think about and prepare themselves for their pet's death before the time comes so they will know how they prefer to respond to serious illnesses, etc. rather than being forced to make hurried decisions in the vet's office. He also discusses how to know when it's time to euthanize and why owners should not feel guilty about making the decision. He emphasizes that we must be advocates for our pets; that pets think differently about death than humans; and that the death of a pet does not equal that of a human. But, he also talks a lot about how to deal with the grief that comes from the death of a pet and that it must not be ignored. It's definitely a tear-jerker of book, but it also has some humorous moments, too. And, it's not that long so it would not be intimidating to those who don't regularly read books. Highly recommended!

[cal8769 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thought this book was a very good basic guide on allowing yourself to grieve your pet's mortality. I felt the stories that he included were very helpful to show that we indeed love and miss our furry family members and that we should be allowed to show our emotions.I also loved that Katz reminded us that animals are animals. They can't be made into little people and they don't have the emotional compacity of humans. I think people need to be reminded of that before they get pets.I enjoyed this book as much as a weeping, nostalgic woman could. I also belive that even though I have pets who have been gone for many years, I felt comforted my his book. I will try and keep this book on hand for friends and family who lose a pet.

[chocolatedog_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

To be fair, I have read a couple of Katz’ previous books and found them a little precious and somehow offputting. I tried to keep an open mind about Going Home.This is a thin book and a good book to read as you are facing the final days of your pet’s life. Katz aptly describes the emotions that the loss of a pet brings. You’ll want to read Going Home in private. I made the mistake of opening the book up in a coffee shop and had to shut it as tears came. (And I had assumed that I had finished grieving for my several-months-passed dog.) Katz describes how one of his friends gave his dog a Perfect Day before the dog’s death from heart failure – one day where he and his dog did all of the dog’s favorite things. I found this a really powerful way to honor your dog before his or her passing. I have just a couple of quibbles with the book. Katz says “There is something elemental, even beautiful, about the natural death of an animal.” As a vet, I have seen many animals die a natural death, both in the clinic and on the farm. Sometimes it is peaceful and feels right; other times, a natural death can be prolonged and brutal. Katz talks about a pet’s natural death sparing pet owners the guilt-inducing choice to euthanize. I don’t think the book is clear enough about the benefits of a timely euthanasia for an animal who is miserable, and about the guilt that can plague owners who feel they waited too long to end their pet’s suffering.Another curious thing was Katz’ take on advanced veterinary care for animals. Katz rightly urges pet owners to think about how much money they are willing to spend on their pet in an emergency or at the end of life. He then opines that it is somehow selfish it is to spend a lot of money on veterinary care when so many humans in this world are suffering. This has always been a strange argument to me. People can drop $60,000 on a fancy car or truck, but can’t spend a small fraction of that amount on caring for their furry family member without being made to feel frivolous? (And, yes, as a vet, I obviously have a horse in this race.) Overall, I think Going Home may be a worthwhile read. There are several books out there that broach this subject, so you may want to browse among the current offerings to find a book that speaks to you.

[realbigcat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jon Katz is a wonderful writer. This boo k Going Home Finding Peace When a Pet Dies deals with a tough subject. If you are reading this book you are probably a pet owner and have had to deal with a loss. The fact that we develop such a great bond with our pets and their lifespan is relatively short is one very unforunate. Katz deals with the subject of grieving and accepting the loss. He puts it into a great perspective and relates stories of his own pets. Obviously this book would be a great read for any pet lover but it would also make a great reference book to keep or give to someone who is dealing with the loss of a beloved pet.

[nightprose · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jon Katz is a well-versed expert on dogs. He has shared many of his experiences with many readers over the years. He writes from Bedlam Farm of his many dogs, and the many stages of life with them.In this most recent book, Jon Katz addresses the inevitable final stage. He writes of Going Home: Finding Peace When Pets Die.This one is of particular meaning for me. I have lost many pets over my lifetime. I miss every one of them still. I have had an especially difficult time losing my Shetland Sheepdog, Maisie (in 2010). I have shared pictures of her, written about her, and still grieve for her.Jon’s book is understanding and compassionate. He understands dogs and their people. Jon understands the bond between them. In this book, he gets it right with his words of advice and comfort. He honors this bond, this relationship between pet and person. And he respects the undying love.In addition to his books, Jon Katz has a website and a blog. I recommend Jon Katz, his books, and his sites. He understands the special bond of “Furever Friends”.

[squirrelsohno · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Having lost a dog around the same period as I received an advanced reader copy of this book, I was unsure of what to do. My black lab Ozzie had been a part of my life from a young age, and in a sense we grew up together. I’m 24 and Ozzie came into my family when I was 12, but I quickly took to him and he became like a furry brother for me. His death left a void in my life and I immediately picked up this book. Going Home was both poignant and helpful for me in accepting my dog’s death. It tells of celebrating a dog’s life and how blessed I am to have been able to experience his life and his gifts to my family and my own life. Katz’s own experiences with the death of his dog Orson resonated with me as I searched for hope and comfort in the days after Ozzie’s death. What I learned, though, is that Ozzie changed me as a person. This book is the type that will teach you about the power our relationships with our pets have on us as people. This book helped ease the grieving process involved with the death of a beloved family pet. Ozzie was more than just a pet, though. He really was part of my family. After reading Going Home, I learned to celebrate his life and be grateful for everything he did for me and my family. If you are in the process of grieving the loss of a pet, this is a book you cannot miss. It helps so much.

[pasha992 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have read all of Jon Katz's previous books and enjoyed them all. This was hard one to read because it made me think of all of the animals I have loved and lost over the years. My favorite chapter was Perspective. I appreciated his insight on what to say when it is time to say goodbye to your animal - "Thank you. I let you go and I celebrate your time with us." You couldn't ask for anything more when it is time to say goodbye to your dog or cat.I would recommend this book to anyone who is an animal lover.

[clamairy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Touching and uncomplicated look at how to deal with the loss of a loved pet. Having lost one dog and four cats in the last eight years I could relate to Katz and much of what he had to say. One of the most interesting parts of the book for me was the afterword by Debra A. Katz, MD. (No relation to the author.) Could be very helpful for those who have just lost a furry best friend, or for those who know they will sooner rather than later. If you are one of those rare animal owners who does not love your pet/s as much as (if not more than) some of the people in your life then this book is not for you.

[livelylady · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Easy to be objective reading a book about losing a pet when I had lost a pet of 15 years, but currently have a young, healthy pet. I underlined quite a bit in Katz' book about when animals die. He really had a good perspective about while they are an important part of our life and serve a purpose, they are animals. This was easily readable, a quick read, and made even more interesting by examples of animals he has had or that he knew about. A definite recommendation for anyone with an animals, young or old. Since it is not released until the end of September, a good book to put on your Christmas list!

[mpensack_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jon Katz has written many excellent books about his dogs, his farm animals and the life they share. In "Going Home: Finding Peace When Pets Die" he combines his experience and knowledge about animals with his thoughts, insights and experience dealing with the grief following their death. He writes with honesty and warmth as he shares his own stories about saying good bye to his furry friends. He offers practical advice mixed with reassurance that grieving is a normal part of loving. I found his experience with hospice patients added much to the narrative. I especially enjoyed the chapter that talks about how getting a new pet is paying your old friend the highest compliment. This book also offers important tips on the importance of being honest with children about the death of a pet. It's an excellent book and a must read for all pet owners who will some day have to say good bye to their best friend.

[docwood-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Going Home; Finding Peace When Pets Die, by Jon Katz (Villard, 2011, 166pp., $22.00 US) is a sort of manual for pet owners on pet death and grief, and when it’s necessary, on the decision to euthanize. It’s so much more than that, though—it’s also a paean to our pets and our relationships with them. Indeed, Katz characterizes the grief itself as an expression of our joy in the animal’s life.Since the book covers both natural and assisted deaths, stressing the need for preparation, it makes useful reading for owners whose pets are still living and healthy as well as for those already grieving either form of loss. Katz includes sections on children’s experiences of pet death, and this is also covered thoroughly in Dr. Debra Katz’s Afterword (which the publisher’s notes refer to as a preface). Katz works three themes throughout the book. One, we are responsible for making choices that are in the animal’s best interests, not on the basis of what we want or what other people think we should do. Two, grief is normal and natural, and even a good thing, for it cleanses, heals, and stands as testimony to the love we had for our pet. Three, both the decision and the grief go best if we are prepared. What constitutes the animal’s best interests, and how do we tell? How do we grieve? And how do we prepare for deciding and grieving? The book addresses each in depth, including how to involve, prepare, and support the children. Katz approaches each task—which, as he points out, we commit to the moment we bring the animal into our homes and our lives—practically, spiritually, and compassionately. In the process, Katz is incredibly generous, giving of himself in ways that few would have the courage to do in print. He shares his own grief, his personal failings, and his dreams (in chapters titled “Animal Dreams”).Three of me read this book and we all loved it. The writer in me admired Katz’s ability to be both succinct and eloquent at the same time. This is the most eminently quotable book I have read in a long time—which is frustrating in a way because the publisher asks that nobody quote it yet as the ARCs are all uncorrected copy. (On which subject, this “uncorrected” copy is in better shape than some books I’ve seen in recent years that are in 2nd and subsequent printings—and still riddled with a ridiculous number of errors. My hat’s off to the editors at Villard.) I have resolved that dilemma by quoting it anyway, as it is just too good to pass up. The clinical psychologist fell instantly and completely in love with the book. Its message of comfort, its exhortations to responsibility for our animals, its sweet photographs, and its moving stories all made me wish I could order a case of this book to hand out to grieving clients and friends. And finally, the dotty old woman who still mourns a dog three years gone hesitated to even start the book. When it arrived in the mail, I wondered what on earth I had been thinking when I requested it! But I was hooked on the first page. I read it in fits and starts, on lunch breaks and sometimes when I should have been doing paperwork, and I cried every time I picked it up. Sometimes for myself, sometimes for my Rosie, and sometimes for Katz or for whichever animal’s death the current chapter was about. But I found it tremendously comforting and anyway, as Katz put it, “I would hate to have a dog or cat for whom I did not grieve.”The three of us have only a few, small quibbles with the book. One, and really the only substantive one, is the psychologist’s, and it has to do with the title: I’m uncomfortable with euphemisms like that, seeing them as a denial of the reality of death. The animal is not “going home”. It is dead, not somewhere else—gone. If clients’ personal spiritual beliefs include an afterlife or rebirth, fine. But I am not comfortable leading with that myself, preferring instead to follow the griever’s lead. Another, and I admit that this is so small it borders on petty, is the writer’s. Katz’s otherwise masterful story of The Perfect Day is marred, in my estimation, by the Canon PowerShot product placement. I had one once myself, and loved it, but really. That was just kind of jarring. And lastly, the dog owner found herself getting worked up over some of the folk (not Katz) in the book who let their animals run loose, but that’s not a quibble with the book per se. Just be forewarned that’s in there. Going Home will be available after September 27, 2011, and I highly recommend that if you have an animal, any kind of animal, to which you have become attached, you go out and get yourself a copy. Do it now, not when it gets sick or hurt or old. Buy one for a friend, too, while you are at it.

[laura_corbett_11 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first Jon Katz book that I have read - so I am now looking forward to reading his other books now. GOING HOME was a quick read that was emotional and sensible at the same file. Jon shared with us his encounters with loss with the animals in his life, but also offers us advice to help us when it comes time for us to be in the same situation. I found myself on the verge of tears throughout most of the book because his anecdotes are touching, but also because I have lost 3 pets this past year so this book hits a bit close to my heart. When this book is available, I would like to give to my friends as their pets approach their senior years in hopes that it will help them in making all the decisions for their pets - and make those decisions w/o guilt! Thank you, Jon!

[4daisies · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jon Katz has written a simple yet wise book about grieving the loss of a pet. It covers a range of situations of loss that pet owners might find themselves in offering suggestions on how to deal with them based on Katz's own experience. He also provides many examples from others who have shared their experiences with him. He talks about letting go of guilt. He gently suggests how to talk to a child about the loss of a beloved pet and respecting their right to grieve as well. For fans of Mr. Katz's work, the reminiscing about the various animals that have passed through Katz's life and books is like a loving memorial to old friends. I recommend this book to all those who have lost a pet and are struggling with their emotions, as well as those who may want to prepare for what inevitably lies ahead for most pet owners - the day a decision must be made.

[9cee9 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Every once in a long while I pick up a book and start to read the first few pages out of curiosity without intending to get involved. Rarely do I get caught so hard I find it difficult to put anything down that early in the game. This book is one of those rare exceptions.Jon Katz has written a beautiful, sensitive, and common-sense book on a difficult subject - how we love our pets and how we can deal with grief when they pass on. There is a thread of spirituality woven throughout which will resonate with many loving pet owners. Katz emphasizes responsibility for choices, acceptance without guilt, and fond remembrance of what our pets have taught us and the loving attachments we shared with them… each one different. His book is a celebration of all things wonderful in the relationships of humans and their pets.I have personally experienced the death of two awesome dogs in my life. For years, I struggled with doubt and a nagging level of guilt over my decisions to euthanize them when the time came. After reading this book I am able to release much of the pain I’ve held on to unnecessarily. I now focus on cherishing how those dogs have helped me grow, the gifts they gave me, and the joy we shared.Death is a part of life. “Going Home” will help you recognize and accept this – in your own time; in your own way. There are helpful suggestions for children and adults. I highly recommend this book when you feel ready to read it.

[timbazzett · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was looking forward to reading GOING HOME for a couple of reasons. One, I had read a couple of Katz's books (RUNNING TO THE MOUNTAIN and A DOG YEAR) several years ago and enjoyed them very much. Two, I have recently lost two very dear dogs. Barney died suddenly just over a year ago of an apparent heart attack at not quite ten years old, and the other, who was fourteen, I had to put down less than two weeks ago. It's probably not necessary to say, but yes, I am grieving for both of them. Putting Daisy down was of course a very difficult and painful decision. So getting Katz's book in the mail a week ago seemed fortuitous and timely. I was ready for another good story from the master of Bedlam Farm. Unfortunately what I got was not much of a story at all. It seemed more of an extended Hallmark-type sympathy card, made up of very brief anecdotes of pet deaths, drawn from Katz's own experiences and from those of his readers. Katz made sure his book appealed to all pet lovers, including not just dogs and cats, but tales of pet chickens, sheep, steers, donkeys, etc. These mostly unsatisfying litle stories are combined with his own advice about how to cope with loss and grief, as well as quotes from great writers, psychiatrists and other "experts." There is a lot of white space in the book's format, and its "chapters" are headed with two-page photos, mostly of the soulful faces and eyes of a dog, cat, burro, etc. The truth is, I didn't feel the book hung together very well. It read - and was constructed - very much like one of those self-help books that I generally despise. On the other hand, I must admit that I teared up often while reading GOING HOME, mostly because I'd just recently buried my best friend of the last fourteen years, an event which made me miss our other dog, Barney, too. We do have another dog, Mac, who is three and has been with us for nearly a year now. Katz gives good advice here about opening yourself to another dog after losing one - not a replacement, mind you, but another someone to love you and be loved in return. My feelings regarding GOING HOME are very mixed. While it probably helped some in clarifying my feelings about my lost dogs, it also to a certain extent angered me. It seemed just a bit too pat and glib in what it had to say and more that a bit opportunistic and commercial in the way it so obviously targets a ready made audience of people who love animals and who may be grieving the loss of one. I'm sure plenty of people will admire this book and perhaps take some comfort in it. For a writer of Katz's ability though, I found this book to be just plain disappointing. Sorry, Jon. (Or maybe I should say, Shame on you.) I know you could have made this a lot more personal and resonant than you did. Instead you opted to give your readers 150-odd pages of Hallmark and repetitious psycho-babble.

[ellenflorman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a wonderful book and deserves a place in the home of everyone who has ever loved and lost a pet. I have read several of Jon Katz' other books about his farm in Upstate New York (Bedlam Farm) and the animals who have come and gone through his life there. He is an excellent and entertaining writer and I have enjoyed his stories. This book is a powerful look at loving and losing animals that we love. It also offers ideas for how to deal with the grief, including stories of Mr. Katz' own experiences. Be prepared with a box of tissues, but don't let it stop you from reading this beautiful book.