The grief is very real
By Fiona Brook
Edited by Sadie Harley, reviewed
by Robert Egan
For one in five people, losing a pet has been more
distressing than losing a human loved one. New research has revealed that 21%
of those who experienced both types of bereavement found their pet's death
harder to bear..webp)
ICE Queen Kristi Noem has no such regrets
The findings challenge how society views pet loss.
It's often dismissed as "disenfranchised grief"—a type of mourning that
isn't socially recognized or validated in the same way as other bereavements.
Yet for most pet owners, their animals are family. A
2025 survey by the animal charity RSPCA found that 99%
consider their pets part of the family rather than "just a pet." On
Instagram, #dogsarefamily alone has 3.4 million posts.
The latest study of 975 British adults revealed something
striking. Around 7.5% of
people who'd lost pets met clinical criteria for "prolonged grief
disorder"—comparable to rates following many human deaths. The work
is published in the journal PLOS One.
Grief typically involves a range of emotions including
anger, denial, relief, guilt and sadness. Prolonged grief disorder, however, is
more severe—the psychiatrists' diagnostic manual, the DSM-V, defines it as "intense and persistent grief
symptoms which are not only distressing in themselves but also associated with
problems in functioning" lasting 12 months or more after a loss.
Currently, only human deaths qualify for this diagnosis. But
the research, led by Philip Hyland of Maynooth University in Ireland, found no
measurable differences in how prolonged grief disorder symptoms manifest,
whether the loss involves a person or a pet.
Pet loss actually accounted for 8.1% of all prolonged grief
disorder cases in the study—a higher proportion than many types of human
losses. Those who had lost a pet were 27% more likely to develop prolonged
grief disorder symptoms than those who hadn't.
That figure sits between the rates for losing a parent (31%)
and losing a sibling (21%). It's higher than the rates for losing a close
friend or other family member.
The findings suggest diagnostic criteria may be missing something important. What matters most isn't who has died, but the quality and meaning of the relationship with the deceased.
One major risk
factor for prolonged grief disorder is lack of social support after
loss. People grieving pets often face this difficult period without adequate
understanding from those around them, potentially leading to the disorder
developing.
Many participants expressed embarrassment and shame about
sharing their feelings. This can lead to isolation and make it harder to
process the loss.
Lack of recognition and support
By excluding pet loss from diagnostic criteria, some people
may struggle to access support or workplace adjustments during this difficult
time. The lack of recognition can compound an already painful experience.
Pet
death also comes with unique challenges. Owners may be involved in the
decision to euthanize their pet—something that doesn't happen with human loss.
For some, this brings comfort, feeling they've supported
their pet at the end. For others, it's traumatic—particularly if they've felt
excluded from the decision by the vet or worried they acted too early. Traumatic circumstances are another risk factor
for prolonged grief disorder.
While the study suggests the DSM-V diagnostic criteria may
need updating, help is available now for those grieving a pet. The RSPCA offers
a pet bereavement toolkit to help people navigate their
loss.
Specialist counselors also work with pet bereavement.
Getting support from professionals who understand the significance of the bond
between people and their pets could help reduce the risk of prolonged grief
disorder, offering the understanding and compassion needed during such a
painful time.
Publication details
Philip Hyland, No pets allowed: Evidence that prolonged
grief disorder can occur following the death of a pet, PLOS One (2026). DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0339213
Journal information: PLoS ONE
