Supporting Animals In Grief
There are numerous fields of study that I find fascinating within animal advocacy, and reading about animal spirituality in Through a Window by Jane Goodall, took me on a journey to better support animals. My studies in Animal Chaplaincy, including a passage from Through a Window, weaved together fields of study in animal theology, nature spirituality, interspirituality, humane education, and human-animal studies.
In Through a Window, readers witness raw emotions through breathtaking tales of Jane Goodall’s time spent with chimpanzees in Gombe, Nigeria. Goodall’s observations of a chimpanzee community rocked our preconceived notion that only humans have lives rich with emotion. Goodall’s stories reached into our hearts as joy, anger, sorrow, love, and more are highlighted in her experiences in Gombe. It’s been decades since the book was published, and still, we learn about how to better support other animals with lessons from the text such as when Goodall recounts the grief of Flint’s a chimpanzee living in Gombe Stream National Park.
“Flint the chimpanzee became increasingly lethargic, refused food, and, with his immune system thus weakened, fell sick. The last time I saw him alive, he was hollow-eyed, gaunt, and utterly depressed, huddled in the vegetation close to where Flo [his mother] had died. . . . the last short journey he made, pausing to rest every few feet, was to the very place where Flo’s body had lain. There, he stayed for several hours, sometimes staring and staring into the water. He struggled on a little further, then curled up— and never moved again.”
Flint was met with no support from the humans around him. These passages have resonated with me, and inspired me. Animal caregivers do have the power to help many of the grieving animals around us.
My offerings in Animal Chaplaincy have primarily supported animal advocates, animal caregivers at sanctuaries, and caregivers of companion animals since I was Ordained as an Interspecies Animal Chaplain in June 2023. In this article, I weave my understanding from How Animals Grieve by Barbara J. King and Through a Window to share connections about how I learned to support animals in grief as an Animal Chaplain, including a humbling recognition of how much there is to learn and grow. My practice begins with an awareness that an other-than-human individual may or may not experience grief. Grief certainly isn’t one-size-fits-all for humans and it isn’t for other-than-human individuals, either. Our experiences with grief are unique to each individual. It is critical to contextualize the situation when someone is experiencing grief and gather as much objective information as possible.
Spending time with rescued chickens. Chickens may grieve a loss. / Photo: Alaina Sigler
We can find grieving animals in sanctuaries, wildlife rehabilitation centers, in our homes, in shelters, and beyond. Jill Angel, is the founder of the 501c3 non-for-profit organization Moon Dog Farm in Chicago, Illinois I was curious about her organization’s strategies to support rescued animals and reached out to learn how she supported a rabbit named Freddie after Daisy the rabbit passed on.
“In August, we lost our giant Flemish Daisy at 8 years old, which is magnificent for a giant breed rabbit. She maintained a 14 pound weight for years, and as she grew older, she lost weight, then rapidly as we learned she had heart failure. One Saturday evening she took a drastic turn for the worse and I scooped her up to drive to hospital where she continued to decline – struggling to breathe and had to be humanely euthanized. Her partner, a French lop named Freddie, was at home. Freddie sat in their litter box for 2 days. He barely ate, he was mopey and so very sad, he actually faced the wall the first night. He was devastated. I was upset with myself as I was in such a hurry to get her to hospital that I left Freddie at home, when I should have brought him along so that he could have grieved her.
To help Freddie, we left all of Daisy’s blankets and toys with him so that he could smell and grieve for her. Many times I saw him paw her blankets and make himself a nest type bed where he burrowed himself in. We were mindful to spend even more time with him, by being in the room so that he wasn’t alone, yet mindful of his space. We would bring him extra greens and sit with him quietly and pet him (as he allowed). The first few days we kept their space quiet, warm and dark. Around day five he came around and greeted us when we approached. I knew with a bond that great, it was best to find him another partner. It took a while, but in October we adopted another Flemish giant named Cinnabun from a shelter. He has since gone on to bond with her too — a different bond from Daisy, yet still a bond” (Angelo 2024).
Daisy and Freddie / Photo: Jill Angelo
In Mourning Animals: Rituals and Practices Surrounding Animal Death, pattrice jones and Lori Gruen note that “there is no right way to grieve.” Considering the individuality of grief of each animal, we can see plainly that “everyone is different. After a death, some tend toward sorrow while others tend toward rage. Some want comfort while others cannot be consoled. Some need company, others to be left alone. Some want and need to say their feelings loudly and immediately; others prefer nonverbal means of expressing feelings that take some time to become clear.” Some may vocalize often and loudly. Others may not make a sound. There are stories of mother cows traveling long distances to find their calf after being separated from one another. Animals and their deep maternal and familial bonds and friendships bring a variety of emotions into action that may even involve revenge and resentment when a loved one is killed.
Cats experience a wide range of emotions, which can include grief. / Photo: Alaina Sigler
Lily was a pig who was open-rescued from a Utah factory farm along with her sister Lizzie, ending up at Luvin Arms Animal Sanctuary in July 2017. Lily and Lizzie were best friends, spending almost all of their time together. Care staff and volunteers learned that Lily was a bit more shy and she loved belly rubs, rooting in the pasture, and snuggling with her sister Lizzie. Lizzie enjoys mud baths and lounging in the straw for a nap. In early October 2022, a jury acquitted the activists who rescued them of all charges.
When Lily passed away, her sister Lizzie had time to say goodbye. I interviewed Kelly Nix, Managing Director of Luvin Arms, to learn about Lizzie’s grieving experience and any potential opportunities to support her while she is in grief. Learning about the beautiful lives of Lizzie and Lily brought immense inspiration for opportunities to support grieving farmed animals.
At Luvin Arms, animal care staff offer time for residents to grieve. If a resident passes on at the sanctuary, care staff make space for other animal residents to approach whomever passed on to say their goodbyes.
“When it came down to Lily, we knew the time was happening. After Lily passed, we wanted to ensure that Lizzie got to say goodbye. We let Lizzie come over to Lily. The day that Lily passed, Lizzie changed. You can tell that she is heartbroken to this day. […][Since Lily passed] it’s been over 6 months, and the grief she experiences is so big. When Lizzie had health scares, Lily was there to keep her going. Lizzie isn’t the same girl. She is still really welcoming of people and rolls over for belly rubs. We do whatever is needed to make her comfortable.”
Research has shown us that mindfulness can lead to insightful moments that we may not otherwise tune into, especially lessons that animals may be teaching us such as slowing time, allowing time for play, and more. My time at Luvin Arms allowed me to use my Animal Reiki training, in the Let Animals Lead® method by Kathleen Prasad — founder of Animal Reiki Source — to support residents such as Lizzie. Animal Reiki, in its essence, is meditation to create a calm and healing space for animals, and during the meditation, an individual’s agency (freedom of choice) is the most important aspect of this practice.
The fundamentals of the LAL® method teach us that, in order to give an animal agency during a Reiki session, we don’t approach them or lay hands on them while we are meditating. Instead, we focus on creating that space of inner calm, focusing on the perfection of the present moment, and invite them to join us, if and as they choose. If a resident at Luvin Arms initiates contact, we accept that contact in a capacity of offering comfort only, but otherwise, we pay attention to signs that they are accepting our invitation to heal. While “being” Reiki with Lizzie, some of these signs of acceptance showed up as her lounging, becoming relaxed, or taking naps more often than usual.
Another important aspect of animal grief is the healing that needs to happen when an animal passes away. So many individuals continue to care for Lily and Lizzie. The love they shared lives on in the hearts of so many. When a resident passes on at Luvin Arms, staff and volunteers (including myself) share special memories of our time spent with the resident. During the Celebrations of Life, we start the ceremony by lighting a candle. In remembrance of a resident, or sometimes a few residents, we’ll share stories highlighting some of the most memorable moments. We’ll also engage in an activity to honor the life of the resident(s) which have included planting organic seeds. This small act allow fresh foods to grow on-site at the sanctuary to nourish residents, volunteers, staff, and offer benefits to wildlife, the land, and plant life at the sanctuary.
In loving memory of Lily. You will forever live on in our hearts. / Photo: Lauren Jackson
Learning has been most helpful to support animals in grief
Many animal advocates know that, when it comes to an animal in grief, time is of the essence. We can offer comfort and familiarity in their environment. Routines and daily habits offer a way to lessen stress. Sticking with their routine is crucial as it provides stability and an understanding of what to expect in the animal’s day-to-day life. We might discuss how an additional companion might support the grieving animal and contemplate interspecies practices such as meditation.
Other components that we’ll consider:
Emotions of the individual: are we noticing striking differences in their behavior?
The animal’s background story: If you know that their grief is impacting their health, your veterinarian can help discern how to best support the individual medically.
Providing options to offer control: factors such as consent help us to consider whether they want us physically present.
Role of the chaplain (will influence a plan): Implementing solutions, and offering more of the same daily habits, to support an animal family member in grief can help them cope with a loss.
Multiple grieving animals: For groups of grieving individuals, such as a herd of horses, King found that giving space and time to mourn was essential. This may or may not support other individuals.
The animal’s agency: Observing a grieving animal helps to discern what steps to take, or not take, patience will allow the grieving individual time and space to mourn in their own unique manner.
As animal caregivers grow to understand how to support an animal in grief, there are opportunities to find inspiration in presence and awareness. As animal caregivers, we can cultivate creativity and love and strengthen the human-animal bond. Honoring the lives of residents, such as Lily and Daisy, reaches into some of the most compassionate spaces within us. Animal grief — and how we address it — is still a very much understudied aspect of animal behavior, and animal advocacy more generally. I’m honored to be part of the growing recognition of these emotions, and encourage further research in this area.
The post Supporting Animals In Grief appeared first on Faunalytics.
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