The Evolving Relationship With Our Pets and the Support That Follows Their Loss

Over the past several decades, our relationship with pets has changed in ways that would have been difficult to imagine a generation ago.

Across Canada, millions of parents share their lives with pets. The Canadian Animal Health Institute estimates that more than 15 million dogs and cats live in Canadian homes. In addition, birds, fish, reptiles, rabbits and many other animals are also loved and cared for by pet parents.

Canadians spend billions of dollars each year on their care. Veterinary medicine includes specialties such as oncology, cardiology, neurology, rehabilitation and behavioural medicine, while studies continue to deepen our understanding of the role pets play in emotional wellbeing, social connection and quality of life. 

Together, these changes reflect how deeply the place of pets within our lives has evolved.

The growing importance of pets is also reflected in the grief experienced after they have passed. For many, their loss can be among the most profound bereavement experiences, affecting emotional well-being, daily life, a person’s sense of identity and their ability to adjust to a life that has been fundamentally changed. 

The depth and complexity of pet loss reflect the strength of the bond between pet and pet parent, and the place that relationship held over time.

Pet loss grief is real and significant, reflecting what pet parents have long understood through the love, connection and life built with their pets. And yet, the support surrounding that grief tells a different story.

In Ontario, the Employment Standards Act provides eligible employees with up to two unpaid, job protected days of bereavement leave following the loss of specified family members, while the loss of a pet is not included. While some employers are beginning to introduce pet bereavement leave and support, recognition across workplaces, healthcare education, grief training, employee assistance programs and public bereavement resources remains inconsistent.

The grief experienced when a pet has passed reflects the entirety of the relationship and life that came before it. Yet recognition and support can change almost immediately, creating a disconnect between the depth of the loss and the systems available to support it.

If our relationship with pets has evolved while many of the structures surrounding bereavement have not, there is an opportunity to rethink how pet loss is acknowledged and responded to within society.

Bereavement, by definition, is to be torn apart by loss of life, with no condition placed on what type of life has been lost. Understanding pet loss through its original meaning creates space for policy, education, and support systems to fully reflect the significance of the life shared with a beloved pet and the grief that follows saying goodbye.