Pet funeral. Collar, rose and frame with picture of dog on black table, selective focus. Space for text For veterinary teams supporting clients through euthanasia and end-of-life care, a new survey highlights a potential gap that can extend well beyond the exam room: Many pet owners receive little acknowledgment after their animal dies, even though that is the support they most want. The Sympathy Survey by Gourmet Gift Baskets found that 1,139 U.S. adults who had experienced a pet loss received less support than those who had experienced a loss of a person across every category measured. Among 149 respondents whose only selected loss was a pet, 27.5 percent reportedly received none of the listed forms of support, compared with 16.8 percent of those grieving a person. The findings present veterinary professionals with an opportunity to encourage support and acknowledge clients' grief over the loss of an animal. Some 42.3 percent of pet mourners said they wanted the death acknowledged—the highest rate among the groups surveyed and higher than the 31.9 percent reported by people grieving a person. The timing of outreach may matter, too. Pet mourners said a check-in would remain welcome for a median of 21 days after the death. At one week, 91.3 percent said a message would still be welcome, but that dropped to 51% percentby day 21. The simplest condolence appeared to resonate most. Among pet mourners, 88.6 percent rated “I’m so sorry for your loss. I’m thinking of you” as appropriate, while 77.2 percent considered “You need to move on” inappropriate. For veterinary practices, the results could support relatively simple client-care measures, such as a timely condolence message, memorial acknowledgment or follow-up after euthanasia. The survey was commissioned by Gourmet Gift Baskets and conducted Aug. 20-25, 2026, using an opt-in online panel. The pet-only group had an estimated margin of error of approximately ±8 percentage points.
