As National Dog Mom’s Day Approaches, Advocate Erika Sinner Calls for Recognizing Pet Bereavement

As public figures from Travis Kelce and Meghan Markle to Kelly Ripa and Al Roker share deeply personal stories of losing beloved pets, conversations around pet bereavement are entering the mainstream.

Erika Sinner, author and CEO of the $15-million healthcare agency Directorie, believes that recognition is long overdue — especially in the workplace. When she lost her cherished Shar Pei, Kingston, she implemented a pet bereavement policy at her own company.

“The reality is more than 65 million U.S. households own a pet, and nearly all consider them family. Yet pet parenthood remains overlooked in corporate and cultural spaces,” Sinner says. “Traditional workplace policies haven’t evolved to reflect modern families, including those with pets, leaving a major gap in support for the emotional wellbeing of millions of employees.”

Sinner is encouraging companies to adopt policies that provide space for employees grieving the loss of pets. She points out that pet parenthood is increasingly intertwined with mental health, citing research showing 84% of petparents say their animals improve their well-being.

“We live in a world where people still say, ‘It was just a dog.’ But any dog mom knows, that kind of love can’t be measured, and that kind of loss can’t be rushed,” Erika says. “It deserves recognition and compassion.”

With National Dog Mom’s Day on May 10, just ahead of Mother’s Day, Sinner is calling for more inclusive acknowledgment of pet parents.

“As Mother’s Day rolls around, we’ll see the social media posts acknowledging the kinds of moms and loss we’re used to discussing. You’ll see posts about infertility, the mom going through a divorce who doesn’t have her children with her this Mother’s Day, and so many more. I just want to add moms who lost their pet because that grief is real, too,” she says.