The Human-Pet Bond and Grief: Attachment Style as a Moderator after Pet Loss

The current study was designed to investigate the moderating role of attachment style in the relationship between emotional attachment and prolonged grief following pet death. 204 persons, aged 18-35 years who had experienced the loss of a companion animal were sampled. Other measures included the Prolonged Grief Disorder (PG-13-R) and a Measure of Attachment Styles. Secure attachment strengthened the relationship between pet attachment and grief intensity, suggesting that individuals who form strong but secure emotional bonds may experience deeper grief after loss. Avoidant attachment also intensified this relationship, indicating that suppressed emotional patterns may still lead to strong grief responses when the bond is significant. Ambivalent attachment, although positively related to grief intensity, did not significantly moderate the relationship between attachment level and grief outcomes. However, the observed moderation effects were modest, suggesting that attachment style represents only one of several factors influencing this relationship.