Advances in veterinary medicine, as in human medicine, mean that many of us and our pets are living longer lives.

But no matter how long and well lived a life has been, bereavement is still extremely difficult for most of us to cope with, and we all deal with it in different ways.

Some pet owners bring their beloved animal’s bedding and food straight up to the ManxSPCA for our rescue animals to use, because it is simply too upsetting to see it still in their house. Others hang on to it all, sometimes for years, as a precious reminder of the pet they loved so much.

An added complication when a pet dies is that an owner may worry that people will think that they are over-reacting if they show their grief, and that the attitude ’but it was only an animal’ will prevail.

But locking away grief doesn’t make it go away and expressing it often helps especially if you can find someone you can talk to about how much your pet meant to you and how much you miss them.

If you don’t have family or friends who understand, or if you need more help, the Isle of Man Samaritans take pet bereavement very seriously and they are there to help if you need them on 116123.

Other coping strategies include rearranging your schedule to fill in the times you would have spent with your pet; preparing a memorial such as a photo collage; or keeping a lock of hair.

Often the thought of going through the loss of a pet again makes an owner reluctant to get another one, and they feel that they are being disloyal by ’replacing’ their dead animal.

But getting another pet can be the best way to cope with the loss and it can help with the grief.

Skye would suit a new owner who has had a dog before, because she can be quite anxious and strong-willed. That said, most of the time she is a complete people-pleaser and likes nothing more than being cuddled.

The kennels team describe her as a big, cuddly teddy bear.

Skye is a 10-year-old Alaskan Malamute. Malamutes are the largest of the sled-type dogs, and they were first bred in Alaska to carry large, heavy loads over long distances.

Syke is typical of her breed in that she is intelligent and loyal, and whilst she needs regular exercise she doesn’t need as much as a Husky. She came to us having lived most of her life with one family. They are desperately sad that they have had to rehome her, but a one-year-old toddler in the house has changed the family dynamics.

Skye is a large, strong dog and quite set in her ways, and so she would not be suited to an energetic and curious small child in her midst, although she could be rehomed with older children.

She is generally OK with other dogs, and she should be able to live with a companion as long as we introduce them to each other in a sensitive way.

Despite her long coat, designed for a cold climate, Skye has coped well in this summer’s heat and her favourite pastime is playing in a paddling pool, as you can see.

And on the subject of heat, we are still receiving calls about dogs left in cars and vans.

We will do our best to assist, but we cannot force entry into the vehicle and so in an emergency you should call 999.