Death Studies

ISSN: 0748-1187 (Print) 1091-7683 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/udst20

Pet loss and continuing bonds in children and

Michael Schmidt, Paige E. Naylor, Diana Cohen, Rowena Gomez, James A.

To cite this article: Michael Schmidt, Paige E. Naylor, Diana Cohen, Rowena Gomez, James A.
Moses Jr, Max Rappoport & Wendy Packman (2020) Pet loss and continuing bonds in children and
adolescents, Death Studies, 44:5, 278-284, DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2018.1541942

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2018.1541942

Published online: 20 Dec 2018.

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Pet loss and continuing bonds in children and adolescents

ABSTRACT
There is little research available regarding the impact of pet loss on children. In the current
mixed-methods study, we explored the different ways that children use continuing bonds
(CB) to cope following the death of a pet. We studied 32 children (5–18 years) and their
parents. Children answered four questionnaires and the Continuing Bonds Interview. Parents
answered a demographic questionnaire. Results suggest that all children utilize CB while
grieving the loss of a pet, although CB expression varies depending on the age of the child,
the level of grief following the loss, and the strength of attachment to the pet.

Research suggests that most families in the United Bonds (CB), which have traditionally been reserved
States will have a pet sometime during the course of for describing the loss of another person.
their children’s life (Marx, Stallones, Garrity, & The predominant model of grief in the 20th century
Johnson, 1988). Approximately 68% of U. S. families has been defined as “disengagement” and “release”
with children have a pet (APPA, 2018), with a major- (Klass et al., 1996), in which individuals detach from
ity of these families indicating that the pet was the past and the deceased. Attachment-based theories
adopted for the benefit of their children of bereavement suggest that people benefit from main-
(Melson, 2003). taining a continuing relationship with the deceased
Previous research focused on the relationship through the use of CB (Habarth et al., 2017). Theories
between a pet and its owner suggests that a unique of CB suggest that even after the permanent physical
attachment/bond exists between humans and their separation of death, the emotional connection between
animals (Habarth et al., 2017). In many cases, individ- a pet and owner can be maintained (Packman,
uals consider a pet a family member or as an attach- Carmack, & Ronen, 2011). This process requires the
ment figure (Zilcha-Mano, Mikunlincer, & Shaver, recognition of the loss along with a “reorganization of
2012). People often feel more connected to their ani- the relationship with the deceased” (Field, 2008;
mal than to other humans (Carmack, 1985), with pets p. 115). CB can be lived out through a variety of
holding the role of a companion, best friend, or sib- expressions that allow individuals to remain emotion-
ling (Cassels, White, Gee, & Hughes, 2017). Pets also ally connected to a diseased human or pet (Field,
contribute positively to the emotional development of Orsini, Gavish, & Packman, 2009). CB focus on spe-
children (Caya, 2015). cific expressions that foster an ongoing relationship to
Due to the emotional significance of the pet–hu- an attachment figure following a loss, which include
man relationship, the loss of a pet can profoundly important memories (and sharing of those memories),
impact children as this is often the first time a child “legacy” of the dead, and use of photos of the dead
experiences the death and grief of losing a loved one (Packman, Carmack, et al., 2011).
(Butler & Lagoni, 1996). Research suggests that there Previous research on CB has primarily focused on
is little difference between a child’s grief experience in adults, with mixed results regarding whether the use
losing a pet versus that of the loss of a human, creat- of CB contribute to better or worse emotional out-
ing the same psychological reactions (Brown, comes (Root & Exline, 2014). While several studies
Richards, & Wilson, 1996). Therefore, the current have reported better emotional outcomes in bereaved
study seeks to understand the grief experience of chil- samples utilizing CB (Karydi, 2017; Packman, Field,
dren who have lost pets via the use of Continuing Carmack, & Ronen, 2011b), there is evidence that

CONTACT Wendy Packman wpackman@paloaltou.edu Palo Alto Veterans Administration Hospital, 3801 Miranda Ave, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
ß 2018 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
 DEATH STUDIES 279

specific CB can be related to negative emotions (Root the research team distributed age-appropriate meas-
& Exline, 2014), suggesting that specific CB may be ures in person or by mail. Participants also completed
related to better or worse emotional outcomes. an interview, which was performed either in-person,
However, although CB expressions have been studied over the phone, or over video conferencing.
in a pediatric sample focused on sibling loss (Gavish,
2010) and general bereavement (Sirrine, Salloum, &
Parent measure
Boothroyd, 2018), there is a lack of information
regarding the utilization of CB in pediatric popula- Demographic questionnaire. Parents completed a 42-
tions following the loss of a pet. Therefore, the cur- item demographic questionnaire regarding the child
rent study seeks to expand the available knowledge in participating in the study as well as their own racial/
the area of bereavement in childhood, including the ethnic background, marital status, religious affiliation,
psychosocial functioning and CB of children’s experi- level of education and occupation. Parents also
ences following the death of a pet. The current study reported about the death of the pet (i.e. timing, cause,
also seeks to explore the relationship between age of decisional processes) as well as information regarding
children and CB utilization, given evidence that grief the child’s relationship with the pet, familial history of
responses can vary dependent on children’s develop- pets, newly acquired pets, familial communication
mental stage (Walter & McCoyd, 2015). regarding the pet loss, the impact of pet loss on
parenting, and sources of support and coping.

Method
Child measures
The investigators studied the grief reaction of children
to the loss of a pet using descriptive methodologies, Children completed a 10-item demographic question-
including both written assessments and a qualitative naire containing background information (e.g. age,
interview. The study was reviewed and approved by gender, grade) and questions pertaining to their feel-
the Institutional Review Board of the Pacific Graduate ings regarding the loss of their pet, the naming pro-
School of Psychology at Palo Alto University. cess of the pet, and their relationship with the pet.
The Continuing Bonds Interview (CBI; Field,
Packman, & Carmack, 2007) is a semi-structured
Participants interview assessing the nature of the child’s CB to the
The final sample consisted of 32 (20 girls, 12 boys) deceased pet. While originally developed to evaluate
English-speaking children between the ages of 5 and CB following spousal loss (Field, Gal-Oz, & Bonnano,
18 (M ¼ 10.94, SD ¼ 3.83) and their parents, with each 2003) and child loss (Field, Packman, Davies, &
parent completing the survey for one child. Kramer, 2004), the scale was modified to assess CB
Participant race/ethnicity consisted of 59.4% White/ expressions identified in the CB literature on the
Caucasian, 21.9% Latino/Hispanic, 9.4% Native death of a pet (Field, Packman, & Carmack, 2007).
American, and 9.4% Asian/Pacific Islander. The aver- The CBI includes questions that investigate CB
age number of days since the death of the pet was expressions in 12 distinct qualitative categories: Fond
40.91 (SD ¼ 38.92, Range ¼ 3–135). On average, pets memories, lessons learned from their deceased pet,
were 7.91 years old at the time of death (SD ¼ 5.08, belongings/possessions used to feel closer to the
Range ¼ 0.42–15.5). The number of pets each child deceased pet, continuing connection, being drawn to
had lost over their lifetime ranged from 1 to 21 places associated with the deceased pet, thoughts of
(M ¼ 2.94, SD ¼ 4.89). being reunited with pet, intrusive memories, reminisc-
ing with others about the deceased pet, creating
memorials/shrines or attending special events in
Procedure
memory of the deceased pet, dreams including the
Participants were children and their parents who had pet, talking to deceased pet, and having the deceased
experienced the death of a pet within 6 months of pet influence everyday choices and preferences (every-
study participation. Researchers recruited families day choices). During the CBI, the interviewer first
from several pet loss support organizations, as well as asked children if they had utilized any of the specific
through veterinary clinics, schools, and internet listing CB categories (yes/no) with the opportunity to elabor-
sites (e.g. Craigslist, Listserve, and Pet Loss Websites). ate on endorsed CB. For endorsed CB, child partici-
Families signed assent and consent forms, and then pants were asked if they found the use of that specific
280 M. SCHMIDT ET AL.

Table 1. Demographic characteristics – pets. Epstein, and Phares, 2003). Responses were measured
Variable Frequency (N) Percentage on a “1” to “6” scale, with higher scores indicating
Pet Type higher levels of emotional availability in the time-
Dog 23 71.9
Cat 4 12.5 period following the loss of the pet.
Hamster/mouse 4 12.5 The Pet Attachment Survey (PAS; Holcomb,
Bunny 1 3.1
Cause of death Williams, & Richards, 1985) is a 27-question scale
Medical Complication 15 46.9 that measures a child’s attachment to their pet and is
Old Age 9 28.1
Freak Accident 8 25 comprised of two separate scales: intimacy and rela-
Death expectancy tionship maintenance. The current study only used
Expected 12 37.5
Unexpected 20 62.5
the Intimacy scale, which contains 11-items pertaining
Relationship type with pet to the emotional aspects of attachment (a ¼ 0.74).
Parent
Best Friend
7
11
21.9
34.4
Children rated each item on a “1” (Almost never) to
Sibling 14 43.8 “5” (Almost always) scale, with higher scores indicat-
Closeness to pet ing higher levels of pet attachment. Internal consist-
Not at all 0 0
A little 7 21.9 ency of the PAS was satisfactory (a ¼ .79), consistent
Some 2 6.3 with previous research (a ¼ .74; Gosse, 1988) .
Very much/quite a bit 8 25
Extremely/Lots 15 46.9 The Prolonged Grief Disorder scale (PG-13;
Impact death had Prigerson et al., 2009) is a 13-item scale that measures
Not at all 0 0
A little 6 18.8 separation distress along with additional cognitive,
Some 3 9.4 emotional, and behavioral symptoms following a loss
Very much/quite a bit 11 34.4
Extremely/Lots 12 37.5 that persists beyond six months and are associated
with significant functional impairment. Children were
asked to rate their distress on a scale from “1” to “5”,
Table 2. Endorsement of continuing bonds expressions.
in accordance with Prigerson et al. (2009), with higher
Endorsed CB “Better” “Worse” “Both”
Continuing bond expression N (%) (%) (%) (%) scores indicating higher levels of grief. In the current
Fond Memories 28 (90.6) 62.1% 24.1% 13.8% study, every child completed the PG-13. The internal
Lessons Learned 27 (84.4) 92.9% 3.6% 3.6% consistency of the PG-13 was satisfactory (a ¼ .90),
Belongings 26 (81.3) 53.8% 15.4% 30.8%
Continued Connection 22 (68.8) 54.5% 36.4% 9.1% similar to findings in previous research (a ¼ 0.82;
Associated Places 22 (68.8) 61.5% 15.4% 23.1% Prigerson et al., 2009).
Reunited 22 (68.8) 63.6% 4.5% 31.8%
Intrusion 20 (62.5) 35% 45% 20%
Reminisce 19 (59.4) 78.9% 5.3% 15.8%
Memorials 17 (53.1) 64.7% 5.9% 29.4% Results
Dreams 16 (50.0) 62.5% 31.3% 6.3%
Talking to Deceased 15 (46.9) 66.7% 6.7% 26.7% Parents reported that a dog was the most common
Everyday Choices 13 (40.6) 61.5% 15.4% 23.1%
pet lost prior to the study (23, 71.9%), with the major-
ity of losses being unexpected (20, 62.5%). More than
CB to be comforting (.i.e. made them feel better), dis- 70% of children stated that they had been very close
tressing (i.e., made them feel worse), or both. They or extremely close to the pet and that they felt the
were then asked to rate the intensity of comfort or loss of the pet of impacted them “very much” or
distress derived from the use of the CB on a scale “extremely” (see Table 1). Almost half (14, 43.8%) of
from “0” to “5”, with “5” indicating that the CB was the children related the relationship with their pet to
highly comforting or distressing. Participants who that of a sibling, followed by best friend (11, 34.4%),
stated that they found the CB to be both comforting and parent (7, 21.9%).
and distressing were asked to rate the degree of dis- Children reported a high frequency of CB utiliza-
tress and comfort derived from the use of the specific tion, with the most commonly endorsed being fond
CB. The CBI was found to have satisfactory internal memories (29/32; 90.6%), lessons learned (27/32;
consistency in the current sample (a ¼ .73), similar to 84.4%), and maintenance of belongings (26/32; 81.3%)
previous research (a ¼ .78; Field et al., 2009). (see Table 2). More than half of the children reported
The Lum Emotional Availability of Parent (LEAP, the use of continuing connection (22/32; 68.8%), asso-
Lum & Phares, 2005) is a 15-question assessment for ciated places (22/32; 68.8%), the thought of being
children that is used to measure children’s perception reunited with their pets (22/32; 68.8%), intrusions’
of the emotional availability of each of their parents (20/32; 62.5%), reminiscing (19/32; 59.4%), and the
(a > .9 for both mother/father; Bosco, Renk, Dinger, use of memorials (17/32; 53.1%). Half of the children
 DEATH STUDIES 281

(16/32) reported experiencing dreams about their pets. W ¼ 7.01, p ¼ .01), and everyday choices (E ¼ .16,
They less commonly endorsed utilizing talking to the W ¼ 8.05, p ¼ .01).
deceased (15/32; 46.9%) and the influence of their loss Level of attachment to the deceased pet as meas-
on everyday choices (13/32; 40.6%). ured by the PAS was also predictive of the use of dis-
Although children commonly endorsed the use of tinct types of CB. The average score on the PAS was
CB, the utility of the continuing bond in providing 40 (SD ¼ 6.57), suggestive of moderate to strong emo-
comfort or making children feel better following the tional attachment to pets. Children with stronger
loss of their pet varied depending on the type of bond attachment to the deceased pet reported increased use
(see Table 2). When asked whether the use of a spe- of belongings (E ¼ 2.31, W ¼ 6.02, p ¼ .01), associated
cific bond made them feel “better”, “worse”, or “both”, places (E ¼ .15, W ¼ 4.62, p ¼ .03), thoughts of being
the majority of children reported feeling increased reunited (E ¼ .22, W ¼ 7.37, p ¼ .01), intrusion (E ¼
comfort when using fond memories (18/29; 62.1%), .20, W ¼ 7.01, p ¼ .01), and talking to the deceased
lessons learned (26/28; 92.9%), continuing connection pet (E ¼ .18, W ¼ 5.69, p ¼ .02).
(12/22; 54.5%), associated places (16/22; 72.7%), the Children rated their mothers as more emotionally
thought of being reunited with the pet (14/22; 63.6%), available than their fathers following the loss of a pet
and reminiscing with others (15/19; 78.9%), the use of (M ¼ 75.81, SD ¼ 13.54 vs. M ¼ 65.31, SD ¼ 18.89),
memorials (11/17; 64.7%), dreaming of their pet (10/ although on average both parents were viewed as
16; 62.5%), talking to the deceased (10/15; 66.7%), the “often” or “very often” available. When controlling for
influence of the loss on everyday choices (8/13; the emotional availability of the father (LEAP-F),
61.5%),. The only continuing bond consistently there was a significant positive relationship between
endorsed as making children feel “worse” was intru- the emotional availability of mothers and level of grief
sions (9/20; 45%), although the maintenance of r(32) ¼ .514, p ¼ .002, suggesting that children expe-
belongings was commonly endorsed as making chil- riencing higher levels of grief found that their mothers
dren feel either “worse” (4/26; 15.4%) or “both” bet- were more emotionally available and supportive of
ter/worse (8/26; 30.8%). However, while 11 of the 12 them. When controlling for the emotional availability
CB were endorsed as comforting by the majority of of the mother, there was a significant negative rela-
children, all of the CB were described as making chil- tionship between paternal emotional availability and
dren feel “worse” or “both” by at least one participant. grief severity r(32) ¼ .494, p ¼ .002, indicating that
Notably, logistic regressions showed that age was children experiencing higher levels of grief viewed
significantly related to the utilization of CB. Younger their fathers as less emotionally available to them. The
children reported more frequent use of fond memo- difference between the two partial correlations was
ries (E¼ 1.00, W ¼ 10.00, p ¼ .0), lessons learned statistically significant (Fisher’s Z, Z ¼ 4.225, p<.05),
with the deceased (E¼ .51, W ¼ 6.32, p ¼ .01), use of confirming that children experiencing grief viewed
belongings (E¼ .30, W ¼ 4.54, p ¼ .03), continuing their mothers as more emotionally available than
connection (E¼ .50, W ¼ 8.44, p ¼ .00), dreams their fathers.
(E¼ .26, W ¼ 4.68, p ¼.03), as well as talking to the
deceased (E¼ .28, W ¼ 4.97, p ¼ .03). There was no
Discussion
significant difference in rates of endorsements on the
remaining CB types dependent on age. The current study is among the first to explore the
The average score on the PG-13 was 31.06 (SD relationship between pet loss and the children’s use of
¼9.74), with scores of 30 and higher indicating the CB. Results suggest that children of all ages utilize CB
presence of clinically significant grief. Age was nega- while grieving the loss of a pet, although evidence
tively correlated with level of reported grief (q ¼ indicates that the use of CB varies dependent on the
.28, p ¼ .063) and attachment (q ¼ .34; p ¼ .028). age of the child, the level of grief following the loss,
Attachment was significantly positively correlated with and the level of attachment to the pet. Furthermore,
prolonged grief (q ¼ 0.74; p ¼ .001). the severity of a child’s grief predicted children’s per-
Severity of grief as measured by the PG-13 was pre- ceptions of their parent’s level of emotional availabil-
dictive of the use of distinct types of CB. Specifically, ity following the loss of a pet, with mothers being
higher level of grief was related to the use of thoughts viewed as more emotionally available overall.
of being reunited (E ¼ .26, W ¼ 3.37, p ¼ .01), intru- Consistent with previous research reporting child-
sions (E ¼ .14, W ¼ 6.25, p ¼ .01), dreams (E ¼ .11, ren’s use of CB following the loss of family members
W ¼ 5.79, p ¼ .02), talking to the deceased (E ¼ .14, (Foster et al., 2011; Packman, Horsley, Davies, &
282 M. SCHMIDT ET AL.

Kramer, 2006), children in the current sample However, given the variability of endorsed CB util-
reported consistent use of CB following the loss of a ization and subsequent differences in whether children
pet. In addition, half of the children reported clinically viewed the bonds to be comforting or distressing, it is
significant levels of grief, which further indicates the important to consider the role of individual differen-
important role that pets play in the lives of children ces in determining the utility of CB following the loss
(Archer, 1997) as well as research indicating that chil- of a pet. Parents seeking to help their child in coping
dren often experience profound grief following the with the grief of a pet may wish to identify the types
death of a pet (James, Friedman, & Matthews, 2001). of CB present and help their child identify CB that
However, while the majority of CB were viewed as bring them comfort to promote an adaptive reorgan-
comforting following the loss (11/12), children specif- ization of the child’s attachment relationship with
ically identified experiencing intrusive reminders of their deceased pet. Although mothers were generally
their pet as distressing. This is consistent with Field perceived as more emotionally available in the current
et al. (2013)’s model of internalized versus external- sample, identifying CB that can be shared or pro-
ized CB, which defines externalized CB as a less moted by both parents may also be beneficial to a
mature form of coping in which the bereaved child’s overall coping. As reported in the literature
attempts to maintain a more concrete connection to regarding the process of helping children cope with
the deceased. This is most commonly seen during ear- other types of loss, parents providing children with
lier stages of grief following the loss of an attachment the opportunity to symbolically express their grief as
figure prior to the child’s internalization of the phys- well as validating and normalizing a child’s grief
ical separation from that figure (Scholtes & Brown, expression can significantly aid in their coping
2015). Reports in the current study that children often (Moody & Moody, 1991). Therefore, parents may
found the maintenance of a pet’s belongings to be wish to promote the use of internally-focused CB (e.g.
both distressing and comforting further substantiates Reminiscing, Fond Memories, Memorials) via the use
the relationship between CB and attachment, as this of age-appropriate symbolic activities, such as writing
represents a more externalized form of CB, suggesting stories about the lost pet, having a memorial service,
a delayed acceptance of physical separation from the or planting flowers in the pet’s favorite place (Corless
attachment figure. Taken together, these results indi- et al., 2014).
cate that while children’s use of CB is primarily com- Present findings are consistent with previous
forting following the loss of a pet (Field, Gao, & research stating that children grieve differently
Paderna, 2005; Packman. Carmack, et al., 2011), CB depending on their stage of development, known as
that promote greater internalization, or symbolic rep- the developmental grief perspective (Pachana,
resentation of the relationship between the bereaved Massavelli, & Robleda-Gomez, 2011). A negative cor-
and the deceased, following the loss (e.g. Fond relation was found between child age and grief follow-
Memories, Reminiscing) may be more beneficial for ing the loss of a pet, along with a significant negative
children. Furthermore, children reporting higher levels correlation between child age and attachment to their
of grief and attachment to their pet were more likely pet, suggesting that a child’s attachment to a pet
to report intrusion symptoms and experience dreams changes based on age. Children tended to have less
regarding their pets, which may indicate a bi-direc- attachment (lower pet attachment scores) to their pets
tional relationship between the presence of more as they get older. Children’s attachment to an import-
externalized forms of CB and increased grief severity ant figure, whether human or pet, changes throughout
following the loss of a pet. This is especially notable their development, which has a direct impact on grief
considering the relationship between prolonged grief experiences (Hamilton, 2000). With the current study
and pet attachment observed in the current sample, as supporting the developmental grief perspective, it is
it suggests that children who are more strongly the first to examine how age may impact usage of CB.
attached to their pets may be at risk to both pro- The current study found significant negative correla-
longed grief following the loss of the pet as well as tions between certain CB and age. Specifically, when
maladaptive coping in the form of externalized CB. children get older, they may be less likely to utilize
Furthermore, these findings indicate that children the CB of Talking to the Deceased, Dreams,
with higher levels of attachment to their pet may Continued Connection, Fond Memories, Belongings,
struggle to accept the physical separation from them and Lessons Learned. Given that talking to the
following their death, as indicated by the increased deceased and maintaining belongings represent exter-
presence of externalized CB. nalized CB, these findings suggest that older children
 DEATH STUDIES 283

experiencing less grief may be able to move on to and adolescent functioning. Journal of Applied
more mature, internalized, CB more quickly after the Developmental Psychology, 24, 179–200.
Brown, B. H., Richards, H. C., & Wilson, C. A. (1996). Pet
loss of a pet.
bonding and pet bereavement among adolescents. Journal
The relatively small sample size limits the statistical of Counseling & Development, 74, 505–509.
power and interpretability of the study findings, espe- Butler, C. L., & Lagoni, L. S. (1996). Children and pet loss.
cially given the wide age range of children included in In C. A. Corr & D. M. Corr (Eds.), Handbook of child-
the same (6–18). Second, as commonly observed in hood death and bereavement (pp. 179–200). New York:
research with children, participants’ parents initially Springer Publishing Co.
Carmack, B. J. (1985). The effects on family members and
volunteered their families for study participation, sug-
functioning after the death of a pet. Marriage and Family
gesting the possibility of a selection bias towards fami- Review, 8, 149–161. doi:10.1300/J002v08n03_11
lies with parents willing to play a more active role in Cassels, M. T., White, N., Gee, N., & Hughes, C. (2017).
their child’s bereavement process following the loss of One of the family? Measuring young adolescents’ rela-
a pet. Furthermore, the Continuing Bonds Interview tionships with pets and siblings. Journal of Applied
used was modified for pet loss experiences in youth Developmental Psychology, 49, 12–20.
Caya, S. (2015). The Importance of House Pets in
for the purpose of the current study, and was there-
Emotional Development. Procedia-Social and Behavioral
fore not previously validated in this population, which Sciences, 185, 411–416.
may impact the results. However, limited research is Corless, I. B., Limbo, R., Bousso, R. S., Wrenn, R. L., Head,
available regarding bereavement in children following D., Lickiss, N., & Wass, H. (2014). Languages of grief: A
the loss of a pet, with the current study acting as the model for understanding the expressions of the bereaved.
first research specifically exploring the use of CB in Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine: An Open
Access Journal, 2, 132–143.
children following pet loss. Similarly, while previous Field, N. P. (2008). Whether to relinquish or maintain a
research has validated the presence of prolonged grief bond with the deceased. In M. S. Stroebe, R. O. Hansson,
in pediatric populations (Spuij et al., 2012), the “kid- H. Schut & W. Stroebe (Eds.), Handbook of bereavement
friendly” version of the PG-13 used in the current research and practice: Advances in theory and intervention
study was not previously validated in a pediatric (pp. 113–132). Washington, DC: U.S. Psychological
population, which may impact the results. Association.
Field, N. P., Gal-Oz, E., & Bonanno, G. A. (2003).
In summary, the findings of the current study sig-
Continuing bonds and adjustment at 5 years after the
nificantly expand the available literature regarding the death of a spouse. Journal of Consulting and Clinical
impact of pet loss on children and the subsequent Psychology, 71(1), 110–117.
process of bereavement. This study also highlights the Field, N. P., Gao, B., & Paderna, L. (2005). Continuing
role of a child’s age, attachment to the pet, and level bonds in bereavement: An attachment theory based per-
of grief in determining the types of coping/CB used. spective. Death Studies, 29, 277–299.
Field, N. P., Orsini, L., Gavish, R., & Packman, W. (2009).
Furthermore, the findings provide support for paren- Role of attachment in response to pet loss. Death Studies,
tal involvement in a child’s bereavement process fol- 33, 334–355. doi:10.1080/07481180802705783
lowing the loss of a pet and provide recommendations Field, N. P., Packman, W., & Carmack, B. J. (2007).
for promoting positive coping. Continuing bonds interview. Unpublished instrument.
Field, N. P., Packman, W., Davies, B., & Kramer, R. (2004).
Continuing bonds interview. (Available from Field or
ORCID Packman.) PGSP 1791 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto,
CA94304)
Paige E. Naylor http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2156-3606
Field, N. P., Packman, W., Ronen, R., Pries, A., Davies, B.,
& Kramer, R. (2013). Type of continuing bonds expres-
sion and its comforting versus distressing nature:
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