Animals grieve the loss of companions and social partners. Understanding animal grief informs appropriate management of loss and helps owners support surviving animals.
Animal grief is a genuine welfare phenomenon that requires appropriate management. Surviving animals in a household where a companion has died need increased attention, enrichment, and reassurance during the adjustment period. Forcing premature introduction of a new companion before grief processing can cause additional stress. Maintaining routine provides stability. In multi-animal groups like horses, allowing survivors to be present at or near the death of a companion may reduce prolonged searching behavior. The welfare impact of grief is real, and acknowledging that animals form meaningful social bonds validates the importance of social housing for social species.