Growing evidence shows that many animals experience grief and mourning when companions die. Recognizing and supporting bereaved animals improves welfare during vulnerable periods.
Animal grief is an area where scientific evidence has expanded significantly in recent decades, challenging the assumption that non-human animals lack the emotional complexity for genuine mourning. Animals who show changed behavior after companions die are experiencing something real - whether or not it is identical to human grief. For companion animals in human care, bereavement requires compassionate management. Allowing animals to see deceased companions' bodies may facilitate understanding and grief processing. Maintaining routines provides stability. Additional social contact and gentle enrichment supports bereaved animals through a difficult period. Dismissing these responses as 'just behavior' fails the animals in our care.