Animals grieve the loss of companions. Supporting bereaved pets and acknowledging owner grief improves welfare for both animals and humans.
Companion animal grief is real but often underacknowledged. Surviving pets who lose a bonded companion show measurable behavioural and physiological changes consistent with grief responses — reduced activity, food refusal, searching behaviour and increased vocalisation. The welfare response for bereaved pets includes maintaining routine, providing additional human contact, monitoring for clinical depression and making decisions about new companion introduction with the surviving animal's welfare as the primary consideration. Owner grief after pet loss is equally real and deserves recognition and support. Veterinary teams who acknowledge owner grief and provide bereavement resources build stronger client relationships and improve overall animal welfare outcomes.