17 Grief, Empathy, and Animal Relationships

In this episode, we speak frankly about death and the loss of an animal. We talk about the body’s response to emotional pain and research that discusses animal-human relationships.

We also discuss some complicated topics about empathy, accountability, and responsibility in the animal world, for which there are no simple, formulaic answers. I do not believe that free flying birds necessarily leads to a better quality of life every time, nor do I think it is our job to police the conditions of each others’ animals on the internet every time we see something we think we disagree with. How does this all connect? Listen in and see what you think!

References

https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/coping-loss-pet

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-we-need-to-take-pet-loss-seriously/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/body-sense/201204/emotional-and-physical-pain-activate-similar-brain-regions

Here is Jonny’s video from her first few days with Stewie. It was a true match made in paradise! What a pair.