The grief experienced when a companion animal dies is a real and significant loss that deserves recognition and support, and animals themselves may grieve the loss of human or animal companions.
Pet bereavement occupies an underserved space in grief support. Many grieving animal owners face social minimization of their loss, making the bereavement experience more isolating. This compounds genuine psychological suffering in humans and, likely, in surviving animal companions who may show behavioral changes after the death of a bonded companion. From the animal welfare perspective, recognizing the bond depth and providing appropriate grief acknowledgment serves the welfare of both the bereaved human and any surviving animals in the household, who may need additional attention and routine stability during the adjustment period.