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Grieving the loss of a pet or animal companion

About Grief & Bereavement

Grieving the loss of a pet or animal companion

When an animal dies, the loss can be deeply felt. A pet may have been part of your family, shared your everyday routines or provided companionship over many years. Their absence can change familiar parts of your life in ways that others may not always recognise.

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The bond between people and animals can take many forms. You may have shared your home with a pet or developed a close relationship with a horse or an animal you worked with. For people who work alongside animals, the relationship may involve years of training, trust and shared experiences.

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An animal may also hold particular significance because of an earlier loss. Perhaps a puppy joined your family after a parent's death, or you cared for a cat belonging to a friend who was dying. Losing that animal may bring memories of the earlier bereavement into focus again, alongside grief for the animal itself.

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The circumstances of the loss may also matter, particularly if an animal died suddenly, following an illness or after a difficult decision about euthanasia.​

What might this feel like?

Losing an animal can affect your daily life, relationships and sense of companionship. Your feelings may be shaped by the circumstances of their death, the place they held in your life and how others respond. You might:

  • miss their presence, familiar sounds or everyday routines

  • experience sadness, anger, guilt, relief or numbness

  • question decisions you made about their care or treatment

  • find an empty home, stable or workplace particularly difficult

  • miss shared activities, trust or a sense of purpose

  • feel hurt when others do not understand your loss

  • find that memories of the animal also bring feelings connected with an earlier bereavement.

You do not need to compare your grief with anyone else's or justify the importance of your relationship with an animal.

How might counselling help?

The loss of an animal is not always recognised or understood by others. You may find it difficult to talk openly, particularly if people expect you to move on quickly.

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Counselling offers a confidential space to explore your relationship with the animal, the circumstances of their loss and what their absence means for you. This may include memories of other important relationships or earlier losses, without any expectation about how you should grieve.

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