A phenomenological study of canine loss and grief response: Clinical and depth psychological implications

This depth psychological study sought, through transcendental phenomenological investigation, to understand the relational dynamics that exist between humans and their canine companions and what the bereaved pet owner experiences when this bond is broken through death. Through the lens of depth psychology and the phenomenological perspective the objectives of this study were to: describe the nature of the human-canine bond and the experience of grieving the death of a canine companion; to uncover the process of grief associated with the death of a companion animal; to explore the applicability of current models of human grief for this process; and to create a depth psychological model of grief specific to canine companion animal loss.; This study moved towards the stated research objectives from a transcendental phenomenological perspective that assumes the world is a highly subjective place in need of interpreting rather then of measuring (Merriam, 1988). Drawing on the methods of Moustakas' (1994), Giorgi (1997), Streubert & Carpenter (1995), this study uncovered the lived experience of bereaved pet owners through first-person accounts via open-ended interviews. Emphasis was on wholeness of experience of the human-canine bond, and the meaning and essence of the experience of what it is like when that bond is broken through death. The systematic data analysis model utilized by Moustakas (1994) was selected for this study based on its ability to uncover the essence of experience from the phenomenological data.; This study revealed the grief response reported by bereaved pet owners were consistent to that of losing a human loved one such as; shock and disbelief, painful emotions, living in the past, acceptance, reconciliation, and for some transcendence potential. Additionally, bereaved pet owners described emotional, psychological and environmental variables that were unique to the death of a canine companion lending itself to the potential for complicated grief response. Implications of this study are to: give voice to the marginalized population of bereaved canine companion owners, increase awareness and sensitivity of this topic among the psychological community, and provide a process model of canine companion animal loss for mental health professionals.