In Praise of Dead Pets: An Investigation into the Content and Function of Human-Style Pet Eulogies

Abstract

ABSTRACTFew socially recognized death customs are available for bereaved pet owners, who may experience adverse mental health as a result of disenfranchisement and other complications surrounding pet loss. Additionally, pet owners can experience complex grief when the death is by euthanasia. When a human loved one dies, societal infrastructures allow mourners to express loss through death rites. Such customs often include a eulogy; a traditional testimony of praise which serves a number of functions in human bereavement, allowing the mourner to celebrate the life of the deceased, publicly validating their loss, and facilitating a “letting go.” This study assessed the value of eulogy writing as a therapeutic memorial device for bereaved pet owners. The text of 19 human-style pet eulogies, provided by professional celebrants, was investigated using inductive thematic analysis and emerging themes revealed two higher order categories: Structural Content and Emotional Content. Lower-order Structural Content themes included references to “biographical detail” of the pet, “relationships,” “spirituality,” and “death.” Lower-order Emotional Content themes included the strong presence of “love” and “joy/happiness,” as well as “sadness” and “guilt” around euthanasia. Similarities in content and structure were found between pet and human eulogies: praising the deceased and describing fond memories and happy times spent together. This suggests that human and pet eulogies may also share similar therapeutic benefits: allowing mourners to “let go,” providing validation, and a means of retaining a remembrance bond with the pet. We suggest that eulogy writing could offer a powerful tool to allow bereaved owners to process their loss within a positive framework, and recommend that supporting professionals, like veterinarians, social workers and bereavement counsellors, should consider exploring the use of eulogy writing as a coping-strategy option for vulnerable bereaved clients.