The grief experienced by companion animals following the loss of a bonded companion or owner is well-documented, with welfare management requiring recognition and appropriate support.
Companion animal grief represents a welfare challenge that has historically been underrecognised because acknowledging animal grief requires accepting that animals have meaningful emotional bonds and can experience loss. The evidence for grief-like responses in companion animals is now substantial: dogs show reduced activity, altered sleep, reduced appetite, and increased seeking or vocalisation behaviour after losing a bonded companion; cats stop grooming, reduce play, and show social withdrawal. Horses may stand at the location where a companion died and show disturbed herd dynamics for extended periods. These responses share characteristics with human grief - they are proportional to the depth of the relationship, they follow loss, they resolve over time, and they can be severe enough to require intervention. Welfare management of grieving companion animals involves ensuring physical needs are met during appetite suppression, providing additional human contact and reassurance, maintaining familiar routines that provide predictability, and monitoring for welfare deterioration that requires veterinary support. Some animals benefit from the opportunity to be present at the death of a companion, which may facilitate grief resolution - a consideration that pet owners and vets can discuss in planned end-of-life situations.