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Pet loss and human emotion : A guide to recovery: Second edition

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Abstract

This updated edition of Pet Loss and Human Emotion is a step-by-step guide to leading clients through this special kind of grief. Includes resources and a section on pet loss and natural disasters. As society accepts that grieving over the death of a loved one is not only normal, but healthy and necessary, grieving over the loss of a pet is often seen differently. Expressed feelings often go unvalidated when in truth, pet loss is a unique form of grief that can be quite intense and debilitating, increasing an individual's vulnerability to subsequent stress and leaving them feeling isolated and misunderstood. Pet loss needs to be addressed by therapists and others in the helping professions, to better enable them to help their clients through the loss of their companion animals. This unique guide is written for all professionals helping clients deal with the loss of a pet, and serves as a practical introduction to the field of human-animal bonding. Citing several case studies, it describes various techniques for helping clients when the bond with a pet is broken.

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... It is possible that social and demographic changes (such as declining birth rates, increasing divorce rates and longevity) have prompted people to seek relationships with animals more than they have in the past, and that they approach these relationships with greater emotional and financial investment. It is not surprising that many people consider companion animals to be part of their family (Walsh, 2009) and will go to great lengths to ensure the well-being of their animals (Barton Ross & Baron-Sorensen, 2007). ...
... In reality, however, the deep connection some people feel with companion animals will influence their behaviour, resulting in people ignoring directives to leave animals behind. People can and do refuse to evacuate without their animals, choosing instead to remain in unsafe situations themselves, sometimes losing their own lives trying to save their animals (Akhtar, 2012;Barton Ross & Baron-Sorensen, 2007;Glassey & Wilson, 2011). ...
... Nevertheless, a better understanding of the issues animal owners encountered during and following the Canterbury earthquakes is likely to feed into policy planning and public awareness, and, ultimately, improve outcomes for animals and their owners in future disaster events in New Zealand. National and international emergency policies and protocols clearly need to include appropriate management of companion animals for the physical and psychological welfare of both the animals and their owners (Akhtar, 2012;Barton Ross & Baron-Sorensen, 2007;Glassey & Wilson, 2011;Irvine, 2009). ...
... Recent disasters in the United States of America have drawn attention to seemingly contradictory approaches to animal-human relationships and the relatively low status afforded animals in times of crisis or disaster (Evans, 2011). When Hurricane Katrina destroyed large parts of New Orleans, rescuers were either not allowed to assist companion animals of the people they rescued -or they chose not to (Barton Ross & Baron-Sorensen, 2007). Likewise, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York companion animals were left to fend for themselves, with many perishing in apartments that were abandoned or cordoned (Evans, 2011). ...
... Ensuing public outcry about animal welfare in disaster contexts has led to a questioning of the status of companion animals in disaster recovery efforts. Many authors in the disaster management field have argued that subsequent policy developments in several countries still inadequately address the needs of companion animals (Akhtar, 2012;Barton Ross & Baron-Sorensen, 2007;Evans, 2011;Glassey & Wilson, 2011;White, 2012). ...
... People can and do refuse to evacuate buildings or areas without their companion animals. Some choose instead to remain in dangerous situations themselves, accepting that they may lose their own life trying to protect their animals (Akhtar, 2012;Barton Ross & Baron-Sorensen, 2007;Glassey & Wilson, 2011). Failure of emergency response efforts to take care of companion animals clearly compromises human lives (Glassey, 2010). ...
Article
A sizeable number of New Zealand homes contain at least one companion animal – and many of these are afforded the status of family member by their human owner(s). It follows then that when a series of high-magnitude earthquakes shook the New Zealand city of Christchurch and the Canterbury region it is located within, many people and their companion animals were impacted. Generic and disaster-specific research into animal-human relationships has mostly been undertaken outside of the profession of social work. However, a number of recent social work research and theoretical papers draw attention to the need for this discipline to also embrace this field (Evans & Gray, 2012; Morley & Fook, 2005; Tedeschi, Fitchett, & Molidor, 2005; Risley-Curtiss, Holley, & Wolf, 2006b; Risley-Curtiss, 2010). The aftermath of the Canterbury earthquakes has revealed a need to look critically at how animal-human relationships are perceived, and the potential for these relationships to be considered within routine social work assessments and interventions. This paper considers the role of companion animals in people’s lives, addresses the status of these animals during the Canterbury earthquakes, explores issues of loss and resiliency within animal-human relationships and looks at the implications of these relationships for social work practice and research.
... The academic literature has highlighted several functions that pets meet in the life of their owners (Gunter, 1999;Ross & Sorensen, 2007). Many pet owners choose their pet "in relation to their own self-image," wanting it to send a message about who they really are. ...
... Second, we wanted to investigate the causes that led to the death of the pet and how the pet owner related to that event. Therefore, our analysis focused mainly on addressing specific stages of grief that a person experiences in the pet loss context (Lagoni et al., 1994;Ross & Sorensen, 2007). From this point of view, we considered the situation in which the pet owner had to opt for euthanizing the pet and the human emotions felt in such a context. ...
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Thirty-five graduate and undergraduate students, owners of dogs and cats, were asked to respond in writing to a several questions regarding their relationship with their pet. In this retrospective analysis, we discuss aspects that describe the pet-owner relationship, including attachment and the role played by the pet in the owner's life (e.g., emotional support, the pet being seen as a family member). Most of the participants felt that their pet's loss caused great pain; some considered that even if they had suffered greatly, the death of their pet was not felt more intensely and severely than the death of any other family member or a friend.
... * P < 0.05; ** P < 0.01. 13.57), resulting in a statistically significant difference between the two groups (t = 2.22, P = 0.030). ...
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Background: Loss of companion animals can result in various psychological reactions, including complicated grief, depression, anxiety, and insomnia. However, research on the prevalence of patients requiring clinical intervention is limited. Moreover, research examining the relationship between childhood trauma and psychological symptoms after pet loss is lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the rates of clinically significant psychological distress after pet loss and the impact of childhood trauma on adults who have experienced pet loss. Methods: An online survey was conducted with non-clinical adult participants who had experienced the loss of a companion animal. Psychiatric characteristics were evaluated using standardized assessments, including the Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Childhood trauma was evaluated using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Results: In a sample of 137 individuals who had experienced pet loss, the percentages of those who exceeded the cutoff points were 55% for the ICG, 52% for the PHQ-9, 40% for the GAD-7, and 32% for the ISI. The group that reported childhood trauma exhibited significantly higher scores on the ICG (t = 2.16, P = 0.032), PHQ-9 (t = 3.05, P = 0.003), GAD-7 (t = 2.61, P = 0.010), and ISI (t = 2.11, P = 0.037) than in the group without childhood trauma. For participants who experienced pet loss for less than one year, there was no significant difference in the ICG between the trauma and non-trauma groups, as both had extremely high scores. However, the trauma group had a significantly higher PHQ-9 (t = 2.58, P = 0.012) than the non-trauma group. In contrast, for participants who experienced pet loss for more than one year, the trauma group had a significantly higher ICG (t = 2.22, P = 0.03) than the non-trauma group, while there was no significant difference in the PHQ-9. Additionally, the emotional abuse scores on the CTQ were most significantly correlated with the ICG scores even after controlling for depressive symptoms. Conclusion: People who experienced pet loss had significant psychological symptoms, ranging from 32% to 55%. Childhood trauma experiences affect complicated grief, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, insomnia and prolonged grief disorder after pet loss. After pet loss, people with childhood trauma may require more psychological help than those without trauma.
... The effects of a loss are influenced by several factors, including whether the individual has experienced any other recent losses. It has been shown that experiencing multiple losses close in time can result in a compounded loss effect (Barton Ross, 2013). Mercer and Evans (2006) studied the impact of multiple losses on the grieving process. ...
... A salient question is whether there are cultural variations in pet loss. In a review of indexes and tables of contents of recent publications about pet loss we found not one reference to cultural dimensions of grief either at the time of death or following death (Cornell, Brant, & Bonvicini, 2007;Lagoni, Butler, & Hetts, 1994;Lagoni & Durrance, 2011;Ross & Baron-Sorensen, 2007;Sife, 1998). These books are both theoretically and practically based. ...
Article
The current cross-cultural study investigated grief reactions of bereaved individuals following the death of a pet. We used qualitative methodology to compare, analyze, and report responses of U.S. and French Canadian participants to the last open-ended question on our online pet loss survey. We explored the degree to which our data illustrated pet loss as disenfranchised grief and asked whether there are differences and commonalities in the expression of grief between the two samples. Four major themes emerged: lack of validation and support; intensity of loss; nature of the human pet relationship; and continuing bonds. Findings confirm that, for both the U.S. and French Canadian participants, pet loss is often disenfranchised grief and there are ways to facilitate expressions of grief. Many participants wrote that the survey was therapeutic. Our survey allowed participants to express their grief in an anonymous, safe way by serving as empathic bridging and a willingness to help others.
... Second, practitioners who had companion animals were more likely to treat clients for animal loss. Grief over animal loss is often dismissed as unimportant or seen as not normal (Barton-Ross & Baron-Sorensen, 2007 ). Practitioners who have their own companion animals may be more attuned to clients who experience animal loss and, thus, more likely to treat for loss. ...
Article
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Experts suggest that social work practitioners can improve their client service with a more thorough understanding of the impact of other animals on individuals and families. Studies indicate that some social work practitioners are including animals in their practices through assessment and interventions. Little is known about what factors contribute to this inclusion, especially because there is a lack of attention in social work education and research to animal–human relationships. This study used logistical regression to examine the impact of certain demographic, knowledge, and practice variables on the inclusion of animals in social work practice. Findings include that knowing other social workers who include animals in practice and primary client population served were significant for inclusion of animals in assessment, animal-assisted intervention, and treating clients for animal abuse or loss of an animal. Although practitioners' having a companion animal was positively related to including animals in interventions and treating clients for loss of an animal, contributing to animal welfare through volunteering at shelters or financially contributing to animal groups did not have an effect on inclusion of animals in practice. Implications for these and other findings are discussed, and recommendations for social work research, education, and practice are offered.
... Second, practitioners who had companion animals were more likely to treat clients for animal loss. Grief over animal loss is often dismissed as unimportant or seen as not normal (Barton-Ross & Baron-Sorensen, 2007 ). Practitioners who have their own companion animals may be more attuned to clients who experience animal loss and, thus, more likely to treat for loss. ...
Article
Full-text available
Experts suggest that social work practitioners can improve their client service with a more thorough understanding of the impact of other animals on individuals and families. Studies indicate that some social work practitioners are including animals in their practices through assessment and interventions. Little is known about what factors contribute to this inclusion, especially because there is a lack of attention in social work education and research to animal– human relationships. This study used logistical regression to examine the impact of certain demographic, knowledge, and practice variables on the inclusion of animals in social work practice. Findings include that knowing other social workers who include animals in practice and primary client population served were significant for inclusion of animals in assessment, animal-assisted intervention, and treating clients for animal abuse or loss of an animal. Although practitioners’ having a companion animal was positively related to including animals in interventions and treating clients for loss of an animal, contributing to animal welfare through volunteering at shelters or financially contributing to animal groups did not have an effect on inclusion of animals in practice. Implications for these and other findings are discussed, and recommendations for social work research, education, and practice are offered
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Considering the increasing moral hypocrisy of the modern era, it was necessary to focus on the examination of various influences on moral development. Lack of empathy is a phenomenon that is often mentioned when talking about various social deviations. Lack of tolerance, peer violence, various forms of aggressive behavior are sufficient reason to examine morality even at primary school age. This was the main motive for a more detailed investigation level of moral development of elementary school students in Banja Luka. The research was conducted on a sample of 220 eighth and ninth grade students. Based on a short questionnaire and a scale of moral development, the level of development of each student was determined, as well as the gender and type of pet they owned. The final school grades was chosen based on the theoretical analyzes of various psychologists, who specify that age as the end of moral development. In the first part, the paper deals with the theoretical reflection and analysis of previous research, while in the methodological part the hypotheses and the obtained results are analyzed in detail. After the statistical processing of the data, it was determined that there is no statistically significant connection in the level of moral development depending on whether the students have a pet or not. Regardless of the fact that the connection was not statistically significant, we cannot ignore the fact that students who have a rabbit as a pet, achieve the highest results on the scale of moral development, followed by students with a dog and a parrot, while those who have a cat or no pet achieve the lowest results. It is clear that there are still certain indications that would need to be checked on a larger sample in further research.
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Understanding the negative impact of the pandemic on children and adolescents is essential in order to provide proper support and intervention. Nonetheless, surmounting adversity, such as COVID‐19, may also provide positive lessons for youth to overcome the negative consequences of the pandemic and prepare society for future crises. The objective of the current qualitative study was to document the perceived positive aspects identified by children and adolescents during COVID‐19 and how they made sense of their experience. Participants (N = 67, 5–14 years old) were recruited in May and June 2020. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted via a videoconferencing platform. Based on the transcribed and coded interviews, a thematic qualitative analysis was derived utilizing NVivo. Participants' answers were grouped into four main themes and sub‐themes: (1) school changes, (2) bonding time, (3) free time, and (4) technology usage. Analysing youth perspectives on their experience of the COVID‐19 pandemic provides insight into some of the positive changes and lessons that can be gained amidst the overwhelming negative consequences of the pandemic.
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Sosyal çalışma mesleği insan odaklı bir meslek olarak gelişmiş olup bu durum sosyal çalışma müdahalelerinde sadece insanın iyiliğinin korunması ve geliştirilmesinin hedeflenmesini gündeme getirmiştir. Öte yandan, 1970’lerde ortaya çıkan çevre odaklı sosyal çalışma yaklaşımları, insanların iyiliği yerine canlıların iyiliğini odağına alan mesleki uygulamalara öncülük ederek insanların içinde bulunduğu flora ve faunayı koruma ve geliştirmeye yönelik mesleki uygulamalara zemin hazırlamıştır. Bu bağlamda yeni sosyal çalışma uygulama alanları doğmuştur. Bu uygulama alanlarından biri literatürde veteriner sosyal çalışma olarak geçen hayvan ve insan arasındaki bağ temelli sosyal çalışmadır. Bu çalışma, hayvan ve insan arasındaki bağ temelli sosyal çalışma uygulamalarını açıklama amacında olup bu çerçevede hayvanların kaybı sonrası yas süreci ve sosyal çalışma, hayvan destekli müdahaleler, veteriner hekimler ve hayvanlara hizmet verenlerin şefkat yorgunluğuna yönelik mesleki müdahaleler açıklanacaktır.
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Embodying companion animals as part of ourselves obliges a similar grief, when they die, to the anguish that follows the death of a human partner, relative, or close friend. Individual mourning may fail to assuage pain that is further intensified when the bereaved human lacks society’s recognition not only of their grief but also of the intrinsic worth of their deceased animal companion. Such disenfranchised grief may lead to isolation and to withdrawal from social integration. However, diverse memorials recorded online, and reasons for their inclusion in cyberspace, are enabling validation of the lives of nonhuman animal companions by both isolated and more sociable pet-bereaved mourners.
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