Date
Spring 2018
Document Type
Poster Session
Department
Social Work
Advisor
Paula Gerstenblatt, PhD
Keywords
death, loss of a pet, pet bereavement, grief, personal experience, University of Southern Maine, Thinking Matters Symposium
Abstract
On average, 80 million American households, or 34.8%, own one or more pet (American Veterinary Medical Association as cited in Cordaro, 2012, p.283). Despite the significant role pets play in their owner’s lives, the loss of a pet is inconsistently recognized as an authentic occasion for bereavement (Clements, Benasutti & Carmone, 2003). Research on pet bereavement focuses on pet and owner attachment, comparative studies examining differences in the child and adult pet bereavement, and pet loss via euthanasia. Despite the range of existing literature, there is a gap on the experience of pet bereavement; therefore, additional research is needed to understand the experience of losing a pet and how this loss is grieved by pet owners.
Start Date
April 2018
Recommended Citation
Wheeler, Morgan, "What Are The Experiences of Pet Bereavement?" (2018). Thinking Matters Symposium Archive. 234.
https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/thinking_matters/234
