Pet Humanisation and Related Grief: Development and Validation of a Structured Questionnaire Instrument to Evaluate Grief in People Who Have Lost a Companion Dog

Abstract

Simple SummaryThe aim of this study was the scientific validation of a novel instrument (the Mourning Dog Questionnaire) designed to allow a comprehensive quantitative analysis of grief responses in dog owners after the death of a pet dog, which is a still underestimated issue. This instrument was based on a grid of quantitative measurable outcomes that combines five different questionnaires concerning levels of attachment to pets, responses to the loss of a pet, outlook on life events and grief, perceptions of animals in terms of emotions, needs and legal right. We found that pet owners have the tendency to humanise their pet and perceive animals no differently from humans in terms of emotions, needs and legal rights. In addition, after the death of the pet, a negative view of life was described according to the findings. The Mourning Dog Questionnaire could be a useful tool considering the high numbers of people who are at risk of experiencing the loss of a companion dog, which makes this type of grief as potential major concern for public health and human welfare.AbstractPeople often develop strong emotional connections with their dogs and consider them to be members of the family. The purpose of this study was to develop a novel validated tool, the Mourning Dog Questionnaire, to recognise and evaluate the mourning process in people who have lost a dog. The research model was based on a grid of five different questionnaires: the Pet Bereavement Questionnaire, the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale, the Animal-Human Continuity Scale, the Positivity Scale, and the Testoni Death Representation Scale. The Italian version of the survey was posted on social networks. A sample of 369 Italian dog owners filled in the questionnaire (mean age ± SD 42.00 ± 10.70 years). Reliability indices were good for all instruments. The total scores of the five questionnaires correlated with each other. The results from the Mourning Dog Questionnaire support the negative view of life after the death of a pet and people’s tendency to humanise their pet, since dog owners perceived animals no differently from humans in terms of emotions, needs and legal rights. Findings arising from the use of the Mourning Dog Questionnaire will help the implementation of rationality-based strategies to improve the wellbeing, resilience and quality of life of people in the world experiencing the loss of a pet.

The End of the Partnership With a Guide Dog: Emotional Responses, Effects on Quality of Life and Relationships With Subsequent Dogs

“…This study has contributed to the small body of literature concerning how the end of the partnership with a guide dog affects the handlers' quality of life and their relationships with subsequent dogs. Results support the negative view of life after the loss of a guide dog (16,22) or other assistance dog (24), and mirrors many aspects of grief responses in pet dog ownership (28, 30,31,33,36)-issues that remain underestimated. Although the grief response was high, this did not preclude most handlers from applying for a replacement dog quickly as the need for mobility was high.…”

“…Extreme grief was the feeling most frequently reported and this was shared by family members, friends and co-workers. The depth of emotion was compared to losing a family member or other loved one; a comparison that was also reported by Fogle (30) and Stewart (31) at the end of some person and pet relationships, and more recently by Uccheddu et al (24). The distress caused by the end of the partnership between a handler and a guide dog might be more intense than that experienced between a person and a pet (8) due to the interdependent nature of the relationship (7, 10), the time spent together and because the dog helps the handler to do things that could not be accomplished alone.…”

“…These findings are supported by Kwong and Bartholomew (23) who explored individuals' relationships with an assistance dog and concluded that when confronted with the loss of their dog, people experienced intense grief consistent with the loss of a caregiving relationship. More recently, Uccheddu et al (24) conducted a comprehensive analysis of grief responses in dog owners after the death of a pet dog and found that owners tended to humanize their pets and experienced a negative view of life after the death of their pet. The grief response to losing a dog, be it a pet or an assistance dog, is still an underestimated issue.…”

Horizons in Veterinary Precision Oncology: Fundamentals of Cancer Genomics and Applications of Liquid Biopsy for the Detection, Characterization, and Management of Cancer in Dogs

“…Long known as "man's best friends, " dogs live much shorter lives than humans, yet they form exceptionally close bonds with their human companions as well as with other pet dogs in the family; the loss of a pet dog often has a devastating emotional impact on the surviving family members, whether humans or other pet dogs (268)(269)(270). Cancer is by far the single most common cause of death in dogs, and having a pet companion that is fighting a losing battle with late-stage cancer is particularly difficult for families because of the financial strain of managing the disease in its final stages, and because the process is often drawn out over weeks or months and may involve considerable physical pain for the patient (271)(272)(273).…”

Humanity’s Best Friend: A Dog-Centric Approach to Addressing Global Challenges

“…As dogs come to be viewed increasingly as family members across much of the developed world, the grief felt at the loss of a beloved dog can be significant [129][130][131]. Veterinary and animal-shelter industry professionals are particularly at risk since they routinely encounter work-related stressors caring for companion animals, often resulting in occupational stress and burnout, mental health problems, as well as compassion fatigue and suicide [132].…”