New research investigates the role companion animals play in bereavement support, revealing four key areas.

Blinking back tears, Margaret inhaled the faint musky odour deeply as she slid into bed. The stillness of the room jarred against the busyness of the day, the funeral and revolving door of well-wishers, but now she was alone. The silence seemed to grow around her, gathering at the edges of her mind, until, in the distance, she heard the soft padding of a dog—his dog. Moments later, she felt him jump onto the bottom of the bed and settle against her leg, his warmth and weight comforting. They had both lost someone very special.

In the quiet sadness left in the wake of a bereavement, people often turn to their pets for comfort. Scientific research in recent decades has revealed the strong emotional and social support that companion animals can provide, especially during difficult times. However few studies have assessed the impact of this support during grief. For this reason, a recent study investigated the role of companion animals in bereavement support, revealing four key areas: presence, continuity and purpose, mutuality and connection, and nature of response.

New research into pet support

The study engaged several bereavement support organisations to recruit 372 grieving adult participants, aged 28-61 years, who completed a broad survey into the actors and actions involved in providing social support. Follow up questions going deeper into the experience of grieving with companion animals were answered within a week by 42 people (~23%). These open-ended questions provided rich qualitative data which was analysed using content analysis approach.

The results revealed four major themes which encompassed how participants viewed their pets as supporting them during their grief.

The presence of animals

Participants valued the strong emotional support that pets offer, citing their constant availability and companionship. The tactile comfort of stroking a dog or feeling a cat purr was described as soothing.

“They are always there when I really need someone. I do not get that kind of help from family or friends.”

Creating continuity and purpose

Pets also provided people with a sense of purpose and routine, which was reassuring during significant life changes and helped to preserve the identity of the caregiver. Daily tasks such as feeding and walking their pets gave people a reason to get out of bed in the morning.

“When your world is shaken, they offer unconditional support, constancy.”

Mutuality and connection with animals

Participants reported that rather than just being present during the grieving process, that their pets felt a shared sense of grief and acted as a living link to the deceased person.

“I would snuggle up with Matilda and stroke her and cry and she just stayed there in my lap, somehow it made me feel closer to Caitlyn.”

Animals’ nature of response

Pets were described as offering non-judgemental acceptance and a safe space to act authentically in their grief without the fear of advice or criticism.

“I remember in those early days of grief, I could just lay on the couch with him and
he would lay quietly while I sobbed. No expectation. No judgment. No trying to
fix it.”

Study implications

The findings of this study show that pets can provide a unique social support to people who are grieving, which is distinct from that offered by humans which it can complement. While there are overlaps in the types of support offered, the silent and strong emotional support pets can offer is valuable. By providing a sense of purpose and acting as a tangible linked to the deceased, pets may reduce feelings of loneliness during a difficult time.

As research continues to uncover the multifaceted and diverse relationships that we share with pets, their ability to support our emotional wellbeing during times of need becomes ever clearer. This investigation into the role of companion animals in bereavement support not only adds to the growing literature on human-animal interactions, but also highlights the need for further research into the protective factors associated with pet ownership to offset the negative consequences associated with bereavement.

Key study findings:

• Grieving participants valued the emotional support pets can provide
• Pets provided grieving people with a sense of purpose and routine
• Participants felt a shared grief with their pets
• Pets were seen as accepting grieving people without judgement