Beyond disenfranchized grief: Survey and interview accounts of animal loss through and beyond COVID-19 in the United Kingdom.

Abstract

Although there was a rapidly growing body of literature on human-animal relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic, little attention was given to accounts of animal death through and beyond COVID-19. This paper reports on two connected studies undertaken after the end of COVID-19 restrictions in the United Kingdom, here focusing specifically on animal companion loss. From an online survey of 667 participants, 354 responded to an open-ended question about the loss of an animal. Content analysis of these data found participants commented about the timing of loss, how the loss occurred, and how they framed or accounted for the loss. From online interviews with 41 participants, 36 spoke about the loss of an animal. Themes of anticipatory grief, pandemic loss, and depth of connection were generated. The paper concludes by reconceptualizing animal bereavement to decenter human exceptionalism, and how this could further normalize the significance of animal loss.