For a fifth of people, losing a pet may be more painful than losing a loved one.
A recent study showed that 21% of those who experienced both types of loss found the death of their pet to be the most difficult experience.
These findings raise questions about society’s view of pet loss, which is often seen as “disenfranchised grief,” a type of grief that does not receive the same social recognition or support as other losses.
Animals are part of the family?
For the majority of pet owners, these animals are an integral part of the family.
A 2025 poll by the RSPCA animal welfare charity revealed that 99% of pet owners consider their animals to be part of the family and not just “pets.”
A recent study of 975 British adults revealed a striking fact: about 7.5% of people who lost their pets met the clinical criteria for prolonged grief disorder, a percentage similar to that recorded after many human deaths.
Prolonged Grief Disorder
Grief is usually accompanied by a range of emotions such as anger, denial, comfort, guilt, and sadness. But prolonged grief disorder is more severe, with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) defining it as a set of “severe and persistent grief symptoms that are not only painful in themselves, but are also associated with problems in functioning” that persist for 12 months or more after the loss.
Currently, this disease is only diagnosed in cases of human death. But the research, led by Philip Hyland of Maynooth University in Ireland, found no fundamental differences in how the symptoms of prolonged grief disorder manifest, whether the loss was related to a person or a pet.
* Pet losses accounted for 8.1% of all prolonged grief disorder cases in the study, a higher percentage than many types of human losses.
* People who lost their pets were 27% more likely to develop symptoms of prolonged grief disorder compared to those who did not lose their pets.
* This figure falls between the rates of losing a parent (31%) and losing a sibling (21%).
* It is higher than the rates of losing a close friend or any other family member.
Lack of social support after pet loss is one of the most important risk factors for developing prolonged grief disorder. People who lose their pets often face this difficult period without sufficient understanding from those around them, which can lead to the development of this disorder.
Many participants expressed feelings of embarrassment and shame about sharing their feelings. This can lead to isolation and make it difficult for them to accept the loss.
