Can a pet funeral help with grief? An honest answer
A pet funeral can help by making the loss visible, shared and real, but it won't shorten grief or make it hurt less on a schedule. Pet grief is often hidden: 57.1%[1] of bereaved owners in one large survey felt they had to hide it.
By the Pet Funeral & Memorial Services editorial team · Updated September 24, 2026 · 4 min read · Sources
- What pet-loss research actually shows
- What a ceremony can and can't do
- When to look for extra support
The short answer
Does holding a funeral for a pet make grief easier?
It can help, but not in the way people sometimes hope. A ceremony won't make the pain smaller or quicker. What it can do is give the loss a clear moment, bring people around you who understand, and let you do something deliberate for your pet at a time when you feel helpless.
There's very little research testing pet funerals directly, so we won't pretend otherwise. What there is, is good evidence about pet grief itself: how common it is, how intense it can be, and how often people feel they can't show it. That's where a farewell seems to fit.
What research shows
How strong is grief after losing a pet?
Stronger than many people expect, including owners themselves. A 2026 UK study in PLOS ONE found that 7.5%[2] of adults whose bereavement was a pet met the criteria for prolonged grief disorder, close to the rates after losing a close friend or sibling. One report found 40%[3] of owners say their grief after a pet equals or exceeds grief after a human loss.
66.9%[4]
66.9% of respondents were surprised by how intense their grief was after losing a pet.
57.1%[1]
57.1% felt they had to hide their grief after a pet died, and 57.8% perceive stigma around pet loss.
13.4%[5]
Only 13.4% of bereaved pet owners felt fully understood by others.
Those three figures come from the RSPCA's survey of more than 4,000 bereaved owners: the share surprised by how intense their grief was, the share who felt they had to hide it, and the share who felt fully understood by others. Taken together, they describe grief that's big, and often lonely.
The role of a ceremony
What can a pet funeral actually do for you?
Grief researchers talk about disenfranchised grief: loss that others don't recognize as worth mourning. Pet loss is a classic example. A farewell pushes back against that, even when only two people attend. For a few minutes, everyone present agrees that this death matters.
- It makes the loss real. Seeing your pet, or the grave, or the urn, helps your mind accept what's happened.
- It gives your hands something to do. Wrapping a blanket, lighting a candle, adding soil. Action helps when words don't.
- It creates a shared memory. People who were there become people you can talk to about it later.
- It marks a transition. From caring for your pet to remembering them.
Some families say it also protects against regret. In a 2023 survey of Japanese pet owners, about 30%[6] believed holding a funeral would help them avoid regret later. That's a belief, not a measured outcome, but it's a common reason people give.
Which ritual would you most want at a pet's farewell?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Being honest
What won't a funeral fix?
It won't end grief, and a moving ceremony doesn't mean you'll feel better the next day. Many people find the week after is harder, once the practical tasks stop. It also won't settle guilt about decisions you made at the end, such as the timing of euthanasia.
That guilt is common and worth naming. A 2025 study of 123 bereaved owners found those whose pets were euthanized felt less guilt but more grief than those whose pets died without it[7]. Neither a funeral nor a decision can take the loss away. What helps over time is usually people, routine and being allowed to talk.
Shaping it
What kind of ceremony tends to feel most helpful?
Families often describe the same few things afterwards. Keep it small enough to feel safe. Include something physical. Let people laugh. Say your pet's name out loud several times. End with a clear moment, like the last handful of soil or the driver closing the door gently.
Also, plan a second, lighter moment for later: collecting the ashes together, planting a tree, or a celebration of life a few weeks on. Grief comes in waves, and a later ritual meets the next wave. The farewell planner helps you shape the first ceremony, and our eulogy guide helps with the words.
The ceremony doesn't close the grief. It opens a door where other people can come in.
Beyond the ceremony
When should you look for more support?
Support for pet grief is patchy. In the RSPCA's survey, 56.7%[8] of bereaved owners couldn't find the support they needed. By our rough estimate, that could mean around 850,000[9] bereaved US pet households a year going without the support they need. If you're struggling, you're not failing; the help just isn't always easy to find.
Consider reaching out if months have passed and daily life still feels hard to manage, if you can't sleep or eat properly for weeks, or if you're thinking about harming yourself. A doctor, a counselor, or a pet-loss support line such as Tufts University's free helpline can help. If you're in immediate danger, contact emergency services.
Free tool
Pet loss grief check-in
A private, two-minute check-in on how you're coping, with ideas that match where you are.
The grief check-in is a private, non-clinical set of questions that suggests next steps based on where you are. It isn't a diagnosis, but it can help you notice patterns. Our planning page also has ideas for families preparing ahead.
Your call
Is a small goodbye enough?
Yes. The size of the ceremony has nothing to do with how much you loved your pet. Five minutes in the kitchen, holding them wrapped in their blanket, can mean as much as a graveside service with twenty people. Our article comparing a formal service with a private goodbye covers the options.
If you'd like to hand over the practical parts so you can focus on the goodbye itself, tell us about your pet and we'll email options from providers near you.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
Vote anonymously and see how other readers answered. The results are live counts from people who visit this site, so they show real opinions, not a scientific sample.
Which ritual would you most want at a pet's farewell?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
What helped you most in the first weeks?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Compared with losing a person, losing your pet felt...
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Questions people ask
Is it normal to grieve a pet as much as a person?
Yes. Studies consistently find that how close you were matters more than the species. A UK study found that among adults who'd lost both a pet and a person, 21% said the pet's death was their most distressing bereavement. Your grief reflects the relationship, not what kind of being it was with.
Will I regret not having a funeral for my pet?
Some people do, and some don't. If you're unsure, a very small farewell costs little and leaves you with a memory of doing something. If the moment has passed, it's never too late for a memorial: many families hold one weeks or months later, with the ashes or a photo.
How long does pet grief usually last?
There's no set timeline. For many people, the sharpest grief eases over weeks to months, but waves can return on anniversaries or when seeing a similar pet. One US study found nearly one in three owners grieved for at least six months. Long grief isn't a sign something is wrong.
Can a funeral help my other pets grieve?
Some owners let a surviving pet see or sniff their companion's body, believing it helps them understand the absence. There's little research to confirm this, but it's generally considered harmless. Watch your other pet's behavior in the weeks after, and keep their routine steady.
What if I feel nothing at the funeral?
That's common, especially soon after the death. Shock and numbness are normal parts of grief, and about 20% of owners in one study experienced numbness or disbelief comparable to human bereavement. Feelings often arrive later, sometimes unexpectedly. It doesn't mean you loved your pet any less.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] 57.1% felt they had to hide their grief after a pet died, and 57.8% perceive stigma around pet loss. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
- [2] 7.5% of UK adults whose bereavement was the death of a pet met criteria for prolonged grief disorder (PGD). Hyland et al., 'No pets allowed: Evidence that prolonged grief disorder can occur following the death of a pet', PLOS ONE (2026), 2026.
- [3] Mordor Intelligence reports that 40% of owners say their grief after a pet's death equals or exceeds grief after a human loss. Mordor Intelligence — Pet Funeral Services Market report page, 2025.
- [4] 66.9% of respondents were surprised by how intense their grief was after losing a pet. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
- [5] Only 13.4% of bereaved pet owners felt fully understood by others. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
- [6] A 2023 Suncelmo survey of 391 Japanese pet owners found about 30% believed holding a funeral would help them avoid regret. The Japan News via Asia News Network - As pets become more like family, more owners in Japan are opting for elaborate funerals (Apr 2025), 2023.
- [7] A 2025 study of 123 bereaved pet owners found owners of euthanized pets felt less guilt but more grief than owners whose pets died without euthanasia. 'Euthanasia and prolonged grief: A cross-sectional study with bereaved pet owners', Journal of Veterinary Behavior 79:60-67 (2025), Univ. of Lisbon research portal, 2025.
- [8] 56.7% of bereaved pet owners in the RSPCA survey could not find the support they needed. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
- [9] Roughly 850,000 bereaved U.S. pet households a year may not find the grief support they need. Our estimate: 1.5M pet cremations x 56.7% couldn't find support. How we calculate.
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