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The first days after losing a pet

Updated November 6, 2026

If your pet died today or this week, you're probably finding that the hardest moments are small ones: the bowl on the floor, the time of the evening walk, the sound you keep listening for. This page covers the practical things that come up in the first few days, and some places to turn if you need to talk to someone.

This is general information, not medical, veterinary or legal advice. Your vet is the best person to ask about anything specific to your pet.

The first few hours

You don't have to decide everything tonight. If your pet died at the vet's, the clinic will usually ask what you'd like to happen next. The common choices are cremation, where you can often choose between getting the ashes back or not, and taking your pet home to bury. It's fine to ask for a little time before you answer.

If your pet died at home, call your vet or a local pet cremation service and ask what they suggest. Some can collect. Until then, lay your pet on a towel or blanket and keep them somewhere cool. If you're thinking of burying them in your garden, check your local rules first, because they vary from place to place.

Before anything happens, you might want to keep a few things: their collar, a little fur, a paw print. Ask the vet or the cremation service if you'd like their help with any of these.

Other animals in the house

Other pets may notice. Some search the house or wait by the door, some go quiet or off their food for a while, and some don't seem to react at all. Keeping meals and walks at the usual times helps everyone, you included. Some owners let the other pets see and sniff the body, so they aren't left looking. Whether you do that is up to you. If another pet stops eating or seems unwell for more than a day or two, call your vet.

Their things

There's no right time to put away the bed, the bowls or the leash. Some people do it on the first day because seeing them hurts. Others leave everything where it is for months. If you're not sure, put things in a box instead of throwing them away. You can decide later.

What grief can feel like

You might reach for the leash at the usual hour, or hear their tags in the next room. You might feel guilty, wondering if you should have noticed something sooner or chosen differently at the end. If you have questions about what happened, write them down and ask your vet. Hearing the answers from someone who was there can help.

People around you may not treat losing a pet as real grief. You don't have to explain it to them. At work, "My dog died this week and I'm having a hard time" is enough.

If there are children at home

Use plain words. "Died" is easier for young children to understand than "went to sleep" or "we lost her," which can be confusing or frightening. Let them ask questions, answer simply, and let them see that you're sad too. It can help to give them a job, like drawing a picture, choosing a toy to keep, or helping to plant something.

People you can talk to

Several veterinary schools and animal charities run pet loss support lines, where you can talk to someone who understands. Hours change, so look at the linked page before you call.

If grief turns into thoughts of hurting yourself, please reach out now. In the US you can call or text 988 at any hour. Elsewhere, call your local emergency number or a crisis line in your country.

If it isn't getting any easier after a few months, or you're struggling to eat, sleep or work, talk to a doctor or a grief counselor. Some counselors focus on pet loss.

When you're ready

At some point you may want to do something to remember them. It doesn't have to be soon. Our list of pet memorial ideas has small things you can do at home, and you can light a candle for them online on any night you want to.

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