Can You Take Time Off Work When Your Pet Dies?

Your pet just died, and on top of everything else, there's a very practical question sitting on top of the grief: do you actually get any time off for this? For most people, the honest answer is "not officially" — but that doesn't mean there's nothing you can do, and it doesn't mean your grief isn't worth taking seriously at work.

How common is pet bereavement leave, really

Dedicated, paid pet bereavement leave is still genuinely rare among employers. It exists, but the list of companies offering it formally is short enough to name: Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants offers three paid days, Trupanion offers one, and companies like VMware and Maxwell Health offer flexible days off instead of a fixed policy. A few units of Mars Inc. — which, notably, also owns several pet-food and veterinary brands — offer a day or more off, flexible hours, or remote work after a pet's death. Outside of cases like these, most companies simply don't have anything on the books for this specific kind of loss.

Why some say it should exist, and why others disagree

The case for it rests on something that's increasingly well established: pets occupy a real emotional role in people's lives, not a lesser one. Surveys have found that the overwhelming majority of pet owners consider their pets family members, and research on pet loss grief has found that a meaningful share of owners experience grief symptoms lasting six months or more — for some, comparable in intensity to grief after losing a person. Grief counselors who've spoken on the topic argue that a specific policy does something beyond just offering days off: it validates that the grief is real, rather than leaving people to either hide it or have it dismissed by coworkers who don't take it seriously.

The counterargument isn't dismissive of pet loss itself — it's more about workplace fairness. Some HR and employment specialists have argued that a dedicated pet bereavement policy mainly benefits pet owners specifically, and that general PTO or sick leave can already cover the same need without creating a benefit some employees have access to and others don't. That view tends to see formal pet bereavement leave as more directly relevant to workplaces like veterinary clinics, shelters, or pet-related businesses, where staff regularly face this kind of loss as part of the job itself.

Whichever side of that debate your employer falls on, the practical reality for you right now is the same: there's probably no line item for this, so the path forward is usually a conversation rather than a form.

How to actually ask for time off

Check what you already have, first. Look through your employee handbook or benefits portal before assuming there's nothing — pet bereavement policies are rare, but not nonexistent, and some companies quietly offer it without advertising it widely. While you're there, check whether your employee assistance program includes grief counseling; some do, regardless of whether the grief is for a person or a pet.

Have a direct, private conversation. Rather than sending a vague "I need a day off," a short private conversation with your manager or HR — explaining what happened and what you need — tends to go better than trying to explain it over chat or email. You don't need to over-explain or justify the depth of your grief; stating it plainly and professionally is enough.

If there's no formal policy, ask about what does exist. Personal days, sick time, or a short stretch of remote work are all reasonable things to ask for even without a dedicated pet bereavement category. Flexible scheduling — coming in late, leaving early, working from home for a day or two — is often an easier yes for an employer than a new category of paid leave, and it can give you the same breathing room.

Consider raising it as a future policy, not just a personal ask. If your workplace doesn't have anything in place and you have the standing to raise it, framing the conversation as "this might be worth considering for other employees too" rather than only as a personal exception can sometimes open the door for a more lasting change.

Taking care of yourself if you do have to be at work

Sometimes time off isn't available, or isn't enough, and you're back at a desk before you feel ready. A few things that help:

Tell a trusted coworker or two what happened, even briefly — you don't have to explain it to everyone, but having one or two people who know can make the day easier to get through.

Decide ahead of time how much you want to talk about it. You're allowed to keep it brief, even if people ask follow-up questions out of kindness.

Give yourself permission to step away for a few minutes if something catches you off guard — a photo, a comment, a quiet moment where it suddenly feels like too much.

Use whatever support is actually available to you, whether that's an employee assistance program, a pet loss hotline, an online grief community, or simply a few minutes to yourself when you need them.

Your grief doesn't need a policy to be valid

Whether or not your workplace has an official category for this, the loss itself is real, and so is however it's affecting you right now. A policy would help — and more companies probably should have one — but the absence of one doesn't mean you're overreacting by needing a day, or an hour, or just a quiet moment to yourself to get through it.

If part of what would help is somewhere to put the memory once things settle down, even just on your lunch break or after work, a BeyondTail page takes a few minutes to set up whenever you're ready for it.