16/10/2026
Why does losing a pet sometimes hurt more than losing a person?
The answer may be uncomfortable for some people, but it's completely normal.
For many of us, our pets are with us every day. They greet us at the door, sleep beside us, comfort us through heartbreak, anxiety, illness, and loneliness. They offer unconditional love without judgement.
Research shows that grief after losing a pet can be just as intense as grief after losing a human family member, and in some cases people report it feeling even more overwhelming.
Many pet families experience grief severe enough to significantly disrupt daily life. οΏΌ
Pet loss is often known as "disenfranchised grief" because society often doesn't recognise or validate it in the same way as other losses. Comments like "It's just a dog" or "You can get another one" or βItβs only a hamsterβ can make the pain even harder to process. οΏΌ
If you're grieving a pet, remember:
π Your pain is real.οΏ½π Your bond was real.οΏ½π Your grief is valid.οΏ½π There is no need to compare your loss to anyone else's.
Sometimes losing a pet hurts so much because they loved us at our worst, stood by us at our lowest, and became part of our daily lives and family. Grief isn't measured by species. It's measured by the depth of the bond. π
The key message: people aren't grieving a pet, they're grieving a relationship. π
Emma Yoxall Pet Loss Support offers free fortnightly newsletters that may be of interest to many of us π
