Misconceptions About Pet Loss: Why Grieving an Animal Is Often Dismissed

One of the hardest parts of pet loss is not just the grief itself; but how society responds to it. Many people who lose an animal hear unhelpful comments like:

• “It was just a dog.”

• “You can always get another cat.”

• “At least it wasn’t a person.”

  
  

These words, often said with good intentions, can land like knives. They dismiss something sacred. They send the message that your pain is somehow less valid when in truth; it is as real and as deep as any other bereavement.

Psychologists Zilcha-Mano et al. (2011) explain this clearly; our relationships with pets often function as attachment bonds; the very same bonds we form with parents, children, or partners. Losing them triggers the same emotional systems of grief, longing, and despair.

Yet because animals are not always recognised as equal “family members” in society, this grief can become disenfranchised; meaning it isn’t openly acknowledged or supported. That can leave people feeling even more isolated.

Here are a few truths to hold onto if you’re navigating this kind of loss:

• You are not alone. Research shows that the intensity of grief after pet loss is widely shared, even if people don’t always talk about it openly.

• There is no hierarchy of grief. Love is love. Bond is bond. Grief is grief. It is not for anyone else to measure.

• Comparison helps no one. Grieving an animal more than a parent, sibling, or friend doesn’t make you wrong. It reflects the unique role that animal played in your life.

• Your grief deserves space. It doesn’t need to be justified, explained, or downplayed.

  
  

If people around you don’t understand, it doesn’t mean your pain isn’t real. It simply means they haven’t yet known the depth of what it means to be loved by an animal.

Your grief is valid. Your bond was sacred. And the way you mourn is yours alone.