Losing a pet can trigger grief as intense as human loss
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- Reviewed by Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Grief from losing a beloved pet can be as intense as that from losing a human loved one, according to a study published online Jan. 14, 2026, by PLOS One.
Researchers surveyed 975 adults in the United Kingdom (average age 46, 52% women). They asked which types of losses participants had experienced, which loss they found most distressing, and whether they had symptoms of prolonged grief disorder, which involves 12 months or longer of debilitating grief.
One-third of participants reported having lost a pet, and nearly everyone who had lost a pet had also lost a loved one. Among those participants, 21% said the loss of their pet was the most distressing bereavement they'd ever experienced, even compared with the death of a family member or close friend. About 7.5% of people who had lost a pet met the criteria for prolonged grief disorder, a proportion similar to those who develop the condition after the loss of a sibling, a close friend, or even a partner. People experiencing deep and prolonged grief over losing a pet should consider seeking help and also monitor grief-related health effects such as fatigue, headaches, and dizziness.
Image: © Yusuke Ide/Getty Images
About the Author
Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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