Animals grieve the loss of bonded companions — other animals and humans — and welfare provision must address bereavement as a genuine psychological welfare need.
Animal grief is a welfare-significant phenomenon: the loss of a bonded companion causes real psychological distress that affects feeding, activity, and wellbeing over days to weeks. Species kept in bonded pairs or social groups — rabbits, guinea pigs, horses, some birds — require careful management after companion death. Simply removing the body immediately may deny grieving behaviour; allowing contact with the deceased companion may help with psychological processing. New companion introduction must be managed carefully to avoid adding social stress to grief.