Death of a pet should count as bereavement leave

Back in 2005 I had to have my cat, my king, my life put to sleep. To say I was devastated is an understatement. I went to work on the monday morning and my eyes were still swollen from crying, I only went in because my boss was a JERK!!! When I got to my office, my boss took one look at me and said "Kay you can't work in this state, go home, and I'll put it down as "compassionate leave for death of a family member...that meant so so much, after that my opinion towards my boss changed (a bit LOL)

I went to work while I was unsure if my dog would need to be put down and then came home to find out my parents had done it while I was at work. I went to work the next day because my parents said you don’t get days off for it and my boss heard me crying in the bathroom during my break and asked if I was okay. I told him my dog died yesterday and he literally gasped and told me I should have told him because he’d have given me a few days off (it was a Friday).

He gave me the half shift of Saturday off and the following Monday. He was my favorite boss. (This was back in 2019)

This will probably get lost in the comments but my best friend for the last 12 years, my lovely Coco, suffered 3 seizures in 6 hours. I’ve never had any medical issues with her. After a 4 hour ER visit, the prognosis is probably cancer but without more imaging they won’t know. I don’t know what I’m going to do without her. She is my life. I don’t blame you for not getting out of bed. My heart goes out to you and I’m sending you hugs!!

Living with my grandma, she kept a feral cat colony for decades, making no attempt to get them spayed/neutered.. I was frequently cleaning up dead cats..
On several occasions while heading out to work, I found dead cats, most often, a pancake in the street. It was my duty to clean up the mess..
I'd clean up a dead cat, then go in for another fuckass stressful workday & supposed to go about the day as if that didn't fuck me up inside.

I had my own business for 20 years. I put my cat Gracie down in the morning and took the afternoon off. One of my clients/actors had zero empathy and fired me for not being at her beck and call for an afternoon. She had also slow rolled paying my commission on a project she just wrapped, so Gracie absolutely suffered as a result. Good riddance on the actress. Her career stalled after she fired me.
Ain’t Karma a bitch?!?!?

I actually declined a job once because they wouldn’t let me wfh when my dog had major abdominal surgery. I asked to take leave for it instead and again they said no. I’d have chosen him over money any day.

Workplaces really ought to consider the occupational health value of our pets - we should be allowed time off for their health and pet bereavement because they keep us healthy and happy in our jobs the rest of the time.

Our 15 year old dog died 15 days ago on a Monday morning, 3am. I'm just glad I don't have anything to do that day bc I already finished my task so I was able to grieve and rest for the day. Went to office the next day and cried 3 times in the office and twice on the road and cried again when I reached home bc our dog wasn't there to welcome me. So I agree that this should count as a bereavement leave

When I had to put my cat down I took a personal day and I needed it but, on a lighter note: when my snake died I called my boss to let him know I was going to be late. I was very upset but knew I’d be okay to go into work after a bit. My poor boss was fine with all of that, but, as he said to a co-worker, he did not know the correct condolences for the death of my snake.

I was so broken up when it happened to me. I couldnt breathe. My supervisor was so unconcerned. I still grieve them to this day. I will never forget how rude and harsh that she was to me. Losing two of your animals on the same day in your backyard after they were viciously attacked does a number on you. I am still not OK.

Karma will kick her in the ass

My husband’s boss let him take a whole week off when we had to say goodbye to my soul dog. It was his first dog loss, and he also knew he’d have to take care of me. And then another dog just died on Saturday, and he took 2 days off. His boss is awesome. (I’m unemployed, so all my time is time off.)

2 months ago, we had to let go of our 10 year old dog. Both my psychiatrist and psychologist said that pet grief is no different than grief for a human loved one. Because many people nowadays treat them as family members, and sometimes, as their "only" family member. I felt so validated. 🥺

pet grief gets treated like it’s a minor inconvenience, but your brain codes that bond as safety. the attachment system doesn’t care about species, it cares about routine and co-regulation. losing that daily signal can spike cortisol and mess with sleep for weeks. it’s real bereavement.

I had picked up a late morning shift for the day that ended up being the day we had to put our dog down. I called into work asking if I could come in a little later. The manager said I could take the day off.
That was over 15 years ago. He's still one of my favorite managers.

I called off work the day after I had to let my Soul kitten go due to cancer. She was 5. Work knew what I was doing the previous afternoon. I got back to work day after I called off to a potted plant and a sympathy card and no one ever complained that they had to do my work.

Many millennials will unite and die on this hill. We didn’t have the economic fortune and support to afford a family - pets are closer to kids than anything else for us. Going to work after that loss is counterproductive af, and leans into cruelty the way some places act

I lost my dad & my soul dog last year. Both were absolutely brutal but in some ways my dog was worse because I saw her every single day and she was my whole world. People understand grief when it’s a human, but don’t give the same consideration for a pet.

Its worse I think 🤔

You know I took of few day off work when my first pet back in 80s died. I had never lost anything before when I returned to work people made fun of me saying it’s just dog I was so heartbroken they will never know the love you can have for pet
Biggest Hugs

My employer gives us one day per year for bereavement of a pet. It isn't much, but it's more than most get. I had to use it last month, very unexpectedly. I was so, so grateful, and so lucky. I work in vet med. It's a rarity, even in our corner of the world.

i wholeheartly agree, although it’s not seen the same when you are the one to euthanize your own dog. worst day of my life because what do you mean i just put my soul dog down and then have to go into a new puppy exam like my life didn’t just collapse.

My managers dog of 15 years passed so obviously she called out the day her dog passed. The business owner gave her a write-up for an “unexcused absence.” I was disgusted. Who DOES that? The businessowner is literally an evil villain.

Sea Monkey vs Dog. Not quite the same but still pets so just like “family” bereavement there would need to be a more specific definition. 2nd cousin’s girlfriend is not a qualified person same as a goldfish (to most) isn’t a pet

Now that’s real grief. That baby loved you unconditionally their whole little life with you. Who else does that? Even your momma judges your choices but not a pet unless you have a cat and then everything is judged 😜

Several years ago I lost my dog and I was told to stay home for a few days if I wanted to. That’s because my friend with whom I worked with also loves dogs so he understood how I felt. I needed that at the time.

Lost my baby last march🥺 a week after my 3 year old dachshund follows🥺 I had to put them down my self then go to work and go to school the other day. Until now I don't have time to grieve for them both💔🥺

Does my company offer 3 days after the loss of a pet? Yes. Is it also because I work at a veterinary office? Also maybe yes? But I’ve straight up quit jobs because it wasn’t offered and do not regret it

This!!! I loss my fur baby last month and was lashing out on everything and everyone because I didn’t have the proper time to mourn his death. And was finding myself crying at work throughout the day.

So this may vary from state to state but in CA we're not allowed to ask about why anyone is taking PTO, but either way I would let my staff take it anyways.

So sorry for the loss of your fur baby

Dead ass clocked out, flew to the vet in the pouring rain to get to my sister & the cat 😭 ion play bout em at all damn near quit my job to say bye to the cat we had since I was like 10

When our dog died my partner’s boss was mad he closed early to take her body to the vet. He tried to call out the next night but his boss told him that he can grieve on his off hours

Karma will get him

Completely agree. My dog Freddie passed a few weeks ago in the car, on the way to the vet with my girlfriend. I was allowed to go to them, but had to come back to work. And I'm HR.

I worked in HR at a company and we made this a policy. You got 3 days (which is hardly anything, but something) for the death of a pet. It wasn’t much, but it was meaningful.

My kids school gave them an excused absence so they could be there when the time came to send our Indy over the rainbow bridge. They considered it a death of a family member.

I took a day off when my dog died. I didn’t ask for it, just told my boss I wasn’t coming in. Then sent my employees a message that said the same. No one questioned it.

My boss told me to put In bereavement when I had to put my soul cat to sleep even though policy doesn’t include it… he said that is family and I approve the absence

I lost 2 dogs 13 days apart, the most recent being Sunday. My coworkers pulled doubles and came in on their weekend off so I could be home. I’m beyond grateful.

Absolutely. The death of a pet often hits harder than the death of a human relative. The pet was there for you every day and always showed you unconditional love.

I got wrongfully terminated 1 week after I had to lay my 17y little guy to rest. 🥺💔😭 Monsters will pay for what they did to my emotional/mental health

Karma 💯

When my dog was diagnosed with cancer (the first time) I got the day off and my team sent me flowers. We don’t have a policy but I know they genuinely cared.

Agreed, and ironically/unfortunately that’s what happens when your dog dies the same day as your brother. 😢 At least I got to cry all the tears at home.

The company I work for implemented this a couple of years ago! They also added bereavement for the loss of a pregnancy or an adoption that falls through.

I mean, i’m mu¥her£uckin’ bereaved whether it was my cat or my dad or my daughter, so let me use the damn day since it doesn’t rollover anyway!

As someone who has been emotionally unprepared and preemptively grieving our pup since the day we got him as a 9 week old puppy… 173839492%%%% yes.

All pups should live forever. 🫶🏼