I cannot imagine a child having to lose a pet, but, I do think an adult can hurt just as bad when beloved friend is no longer with us.
Rawhide's and Salamander's comment's should be the norm of human spirit. Well, I can hope!
Ditto about "the norm of the human spirit". Those were excellent posts by Salamander and Rawhide.
If this "ethically and morally challenged" woman was capable of it, just look what an important life lesson she could teach her children, and help them to be better persons because of it.
Those kids need to experience empathy, compassion, and the selflessness sometimes required in "doing the right thing". The sad thing is that they apparently don't have parents who are capable of setting that example. The mother is evidently incapable of it, and the father is either just like her, worse, or lacks the "male accoutrements" to stand up to her.