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Why You Should Ask Loved Ones to Allow Your Pet to See Your Body After You Pass Away

We often avoid thinking about our pets' passing, but we rarely consider how they might cope with our death. Pets can form deep, meaningful bonds with their humans, and when their owner dies, it can be a significant event for them. However, explaining the situation to an animal isn’t possible—they might simply wonder why their person is suddenly absent.

A quote often attributed to David Attenborough (though its origin remains uncertain) offers a perspective that could help pets process the loss:

“If I die while I have a pet, let my animal see my dead body, please. They understand death, and seeing me dead will allow them to mourn. But if I just never show up one day, they’ll think I abandoned them. I know what it feels like to be abandoned, and I never want anyone to feel that way, especially my dog.”

Stories of pets mourning their humans are well-documented. For example, Sully, the service dog of President George H.W. Bush, spent the night by the casket after Bush’s death. Similarly, Danny, a service dog in Canada, was reported to have whined next to his owner’s casket throughout the funeral. There are countless other examples of pets grieving, showing how deeply they’re affected by the loss.

But could exposing pets to their deceased owner’s body help them process the death more effectively?

VCA Animal Hospitals suggest that allowing a pet to see their deceased companion might help provide closure: “Pets have a limited understanding of death as finality. Some behaviorists think that a dog’s grief response may be reduced by having an opportunity to investigate the deceased. It could be helpful to let your pet see the body of their deceased friend. He may not fully understand, but that last visit may help him grasp that his pal is gone.”

Similarly, Greenlin Pet Resorts recommend allowing pets to see the body: “While not always practical, letting a mourning pet see the body of their deceased companion offers the only real form of closure a human can provide in this situation.”

Personal stories shared on Reddit support the idea that seeing the body may help pets understand death. For instance, one person shared how their grandpa’s dog, who had been mourning, slowly began to recover after seeing their deceased owner. Another person described how their dog sniffed their deceased mother and later stopped reacting when her name was mentioned, suggesting that the dog understood.

In multi-pet families, this approach can also help. One person recounted how they showed their surviving pet the body of a cat that had been euthanized. The other cat seemed to understand the death, reacting with shock. Another family shared how their surviving dog stopped crying after being allowed to see their deceased companion’s body.

Although we can’t know for sure what goes on in our pets’ minds, their changed behavior after the death of a loved one suggests they may process the loss in ways we can’t fully comprehend. If letting them see the deceased helps them come to terms with the loss, it could be worth considering.

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