Loss of a Pet Can Trigger Prolonged Grief Similar to That Caused by Death of a Loved One, Study Discovers

Losing a beloved pet can feel as crushing as losing a person — and for some, that grief may become clinically significant.

A new study published in PLOS One on Wednesday, Jan. 14, examined whether the death of a companion animal can lead to symptoms consistent with prolonged grief disorder (PGD), a psychiatric condition currently diagnosed only after the death of a human. Researchers reviewed survey responses from 975 adults in the U.K., looking at emotional reactions to the loss of both pets and human loved ones.

Although grief after pet loss is often downplayed or dismissed, the study suggests it can have a powerful psychological impact. Among participants who had experienced a pet’s death, more than one in five said losing their animal was the most distressing bereavement they had ever faced — even compared with the death of a person close to them.

“Many pet owners experience intense grief following the death of their pet,” lead author Philip Hyland of Maynooth University wrote in the study. “Many also report feelings of shame, embarrassment and isolation as a result of expressing their grief for their deceased pet.”

Researchers found that 7.5% of people who had lost a pet met the threshold for probable PGD. That rate was similar to grief outcomes following certain close human losses, including siblings and close friends. People who had experienced pet loss were also significantly more likely to meet PGD criteria than those who had not.

The study also found that symptoms commonly linked to prolonged grief — such as intense emotional pain, difficulty accepting the loss, and persistent longing for the deceased — appeared in similar patterns whether the loss involved a pet or a person.

“Participants who lost a pet were 27 percent more likely to meet diagnostic requirements for prolonged grief disorder relative to those who had not lost a pet,” the authors wrote, adding that the mental health effects of pet bereavement should not be underestimated.

While the study does not call for immediate changes to diagnostic guidelines, researchers say the findings highlight the importance of taking pet-related grief seriously — especially when symptoms linger or begin to interfere with day-to-day life.