Losing pet 'as bad as family death'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Losing a pet can be as traumatic as losing a relative, a poll has found. More than a third of owners believe the death of their pet to be as emotionally difficult as that of a relative.
Some 3,000 dog and cat owners took part in the research, which showed just how highly they value their pets, with 34 per cent equating the experience to the loss of a friend and one in 20 even admitting they felt more bereft at the death of a pet than of a family member.
Lee Mooney, the head of pet insurance at Co-operative Insurance, which carried out the research, said: "Our research clearly shows that their loss can have a significant effect on owners."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments