The death of a companion animal causes genuine grief in many owners, yet bereavement support services specifically for pet loss remain limited and socially undervalued in many societies.
Companion animals form deep attachment bonds with their owners, and their deaths trigger genuine loss responses. The social stigma that still attaches to pet grief — the suggestion that one should simply get another animal — compounds suffering and discourages people from seeking support. Lack of recognition of pet bereavement also affects the human-animal bond during illness: owners may delay or avoid necessary euthanasia if they feel unable to acknowledge their grief to others. Support services, counselling access, and workplace bereavement policies that include pet loss all contribute to better human mental health outcomes. Normalising pet grief also reinforces the social recognition of animal sentience and the depth of human-animal relationships.