The death of a companion animal causes genuine grief in owners, while surviving companion animals in the household also show behavioral changes consistent with loss of a bonded companion.
Pet bereavement causes genuine grief whose severity is often underestimated by those who have not experienced close bonds with animals. Owners who feel unable to grieve openly due to social stigma suffer disenfranchised grief — grief that cannot be expressed or validated — which is psychologically more difficult than recognized grief. The welfare dimension extends to surviving animals who show measurable behavioral changes after losing bonded companions. Supporting bereaved owners and their surviving animals through the grieving process — providing appropriate company for remaining animals, maintaining routines, and allowing the natural grieving process to occur — benefits welfare on both the human and animal sides.