Animal loss

Grief over the loss of an animal

The loss of a pet or an animal to which one has become emotionally bonded oftentimes results in grief which can be comparable with the death of a human loved one, or even greater, depending on the individual. The death can be felt more intensely when the owner has made a decision to end the pet's life through euthanasia. While there is strong evidence that animals can feel such loss for other animals, this article focuses on human feelings, when an animal is lost, dies or otherwise is departed.

There is no set amount of time for the grieving process to occur. However, mourning is much more intense for a pet upon whom the owner was emotionally dependent. Additionally, some pet owners may feel unable to express their grieving due to social customs and norms surrounding pets. If the pet owner internalizes the grief, the suffering increases. The stages of grief proposed by Elizabeth Kübler Ross were designed in relation to human death, but can be adapted to describe the grief process for the death of a pet. Indeed, pet death includes several lessons: 1) the relationship rather than the object (the animal) is central to understand the loss; 2) the manner of death/loss will affect the grieving process; 3) the age and living situation of the bereaved will affect the grieving process. University of Michigan did a study of grief involving 174 adults who had deceased pets. Participants were administered a modified CENSHARE Pet Attachment Survey. Results indicate that initially 85.7% of owners experienced at least one symptom of grief, but the occurrence decreased to 35.1% at six months and to 22.4% at one year. Males and females reported different rates on six of 12 symptoms surveyed. The severity and length of symptoms was significantly correlated with the degree of attachment to the deceased pet. These findings indicate that pet loss can be a potential area of clinical concern, especially if the person's attachment to the pet was strong.

Before bringing a new pet into the home following the death of a previous pet, some advise people to carefully consider the timing. Additionally, it is recommended to consider where the bereaved is in the grieving process, and to choose the new pet for its own unique qualities rather than trying to replace the former pet.

Some world religions have held that beloved pets will join their families in an afterlife. Animal worship was common in the ancient world, influencing the burial practices of animals. Animal mummification was practiced in ancient Egypt, and gave special significance to cats in some areas. Egyptians believed that mummification was imperative in order to gain admittance to the afterlife, ensuring the animals’ immortality. Some ancient Egyptian families believed that mummified pets would keep the deceased company in the afterlife. The most common Egyptian pets included cats, dogs, mongooses, monkeys, gazelles, and birds. Many Egyptians loved their pets and, according to the Greek observer Herodotus, the customary process of mourning the loss of a loved pet included crying and shaving one's eyebrows. Ancient Egyptian pets were given names like we name our pets today, evidenced by over 70 names deciphered in inscriptions identifying pet dog mummy remains. Modern religions are divided as to whether or not non human animals are believed to have souls, the ability to reincarnate, and whether animals will exist in the afterlife. In the absence of a common religious belief, many pet owners have embraced the concept of the Rainbow Bridge. The concept, the origin of which is not clearly known, speaks of a metaphorical or mythical place of reunion where pets that die live in a paradisical version of limbo, rejuvenated and free of pain and suffering, until their companion humans arrive upon their deaths. At this point, the pet(s) run to their companion humans, and they enter heaven together, never to be parted again. A number of deathbed visions and dreams involve sightings of deceased pets hence some link these reports with existence of souls. Such experiences may be effectual to ease one's grief. In Mormonism, all organisms (as well as the entire planet Earth) are believed to have a spirit, but that beings without the gift of free agency (the ability to know and choose between right and wrong) are innocent and unblemished spirits who go straight to Heaven when they die. According to Mormon beliefs, animals will be resurrected along with humans at the end of days. Animal chaplains are becoming increasingly popular for helping the bereaved family members deal with the loss of their pet to provide memorial services, spiritual reassurance, and grief counseling.