My beloved pet who crossed the rainbow bridge,
"I wonder if he's safely arrived at his planet by now? Will he be happy there?"

To those who are grieving due to 'Petros Syndrome'
Illustrator Kwak Su-jin
Comfort and hope delivered through warm words and pictures

The grief and loss of those who have lost their pets
I have a friend who takes care of an old dog that lies around all day, listless.
The friend said that just seeing other dogs passing by brought tears to his eyes and made his heart ache.
It must be sad to know that parting with your precious companion dog is imminent.
Another middle-aged man shed tears over a glass of wine, saying that he had lost his pet dog a few years ago.
He apologized again, saying, “I’m sorry for making things awkward,” but the people around him also felt sad.
Most of the people there were keeping pets.
A celebrity recently appeared on a TV show and tearfully confessed her longing for her dog, who had passed away a year ago, and her appearance resonated with many people.

Even in our surroundings, through broadcasts and articles, we often hear stories of people grieving over the loss of their pets.
As the word 'companion animal' suggests, letting go of an animal that you have emotionally relied on and lived with like family is never an easy thing for anyone to handle.
The resulting feelings of sadness and loss are perfectly natural and understandable.


Joy and hope for the day we meet again
Have you heard the story of "Puppy Star"? It's said that when a puppy dies, it crosses the rainbow bridge to reach Puppy Star, where it waits for its family to arrive.
And on the day they meet again, they say he will be the first to greet them. This book began with this story.
I hope that the death of a pet is a temporary separation rather than a permanent separation.
And rather than dwelling on feelings of sadness and loss, I wanted to convey hope and anticipation for a future reunion.
The joy and hope of being able to meet again the person you love and cherish more than anyone else will be the greatest comfort in your current sadness.

In 'Puppy Star', we hope that every moment will be happy.
For pet owners, perhaps what is more precious than a reunion is the happiness of their pet.
No pet owner would want their dog to be unable to enjoy their daily life and just wait for them.

When we hear stories from people who have suffered the loss of a pet, they often say that it's not so much the longing that causes them to suffer, but the regret they feel for things they weren't able to do for their loved ones while they were alive.
In 'Puppy Star', author Kwak Su-jin hoped that her pet would never be separated from its mother and siblings, would chase birds to its heart's content, and would run around in the mud and snow to its heart's content, and be happy.
So, through his characteristically simple writing and warm illustrations, he conveys to his readers the image of meeting his family, taking a nap in a warm place, eating as much food as he wants, and taking a walk without any regrets.

I hope that all pets will be happy there, without feeling any sadness or pain, and that everyone who reads this book will have the confidence that their pets are living happily there, and that this belief will be a comfort.