Grieving and coping processes of pet owners: Philippine context
Einalem Joe M. Garcia
Abstract
This paper aims to examine the grieving and coping processes of pet owners in Sariaya, Quezon, Philippines, with a focus on the factors that influence these processes, specifically, posthumous and bonding practices, as well as the role of demographic variables. The study gathered data from fifty-four (54) purposively selected respondents who had experienced the loss of a pet. A descriptive research design was employed, utilizing a survey guided by a researcher-made questionnaire and an interview guide. The collected data were analyzed using ANOVA. The results revealed that not all pet owners experience the same stages of grief; these vary depending on several influencing factors. Posthumous practices such as cremation and taxidermy are still uncommon due to the limited availability of facilities. Moreover, not all pet owners go through all seven stages of grief. However, it was found that all respondents experienced the stages of guilt, depression, loneliness, reflection, and reconstruction. The study concludes that posthumous and bonding practices significantly influence the grieving and coping processes of pet owners. Furthermore, these processes vary according to sex, socioeconomic status, and the cause of the pet's death.
Keywords
pet owners, grieving, coping processes, pet loss, grief, pet attachment
Author information & Contribution
Einalem Joe M. Garcia. Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Colegio de Santo Cristo de Burgos, Vallderas St. cor Magdami St. Sariaya Quezon. Email: einalemjoe.garcia.cdscdb@gmail.com
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Funding
This work was not supported by any funding.
Declaration
AI tools were not used in writing this paper.
Notes
This paper is presented at the 1st CSCDB Student Congress 2024
Acknowledgement
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Cite this article:
Garcia, E.J.M. (2024). Grieving and coping processes of pet owners: Philippine context. The Research Probe, 5(1), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.53378/trp.172
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