An Irish animal charity has demanded employers offer compassionate leave to their employees, who suffer the death of a pet. According to the Independent, Ireland’s largest dog welfare organisation, Dog Trust, has initiated a new campaign, which aims to gain the support and recognition of the companies towards the extent of grief a person can suffer from the loss of a beloved pet. The report informed that the charity conducted a survey, which revealed that about 71 per cent of the dog owners, who lost their furry friends described the loss as “devastating.”
“Not Just A Dog” is the name of the campaign, which is appealing to all employers to consider making compassionate leave available to their employees and granting it in the event of the death of a pet. In a candid conversation with Independent, the Executive Director of the Dog Trust, Becky Bristow, revealed that the charity as a company offers a day’s paid leave to its employees, in the event of the death of a dog.
Becky added that they have taken this decision as they understand the impact of losing a pet on a person. The Independent quoted Becky as saying, “We would love to see other employers offering the same. Many people spend more time with their dogs than anybody else in their life and have a unique bond with them.”
Research conducted by the Dogs Trust revealed that more than half of the dog owners felt that the grief they experienced after losing their pet was almost similar or worse to the grief of losing a family member. The survey was conducted among 2,800 dog owners, and it also highlighted that around 38 per cent of the dog owners also expressed surprise at how deeply they were affected by the passing away of their pet.
In addition, the research by the charity revealed that more than 58 per cent of the dog owners believed and accepted that it took them about a year or more to start coming to terms and accepting the death of their beloved pet.
