Every day, we celebrate our shared love of dogs and hopefully brighten your day. Enjoy!

Want your pup to be featured here? Join our Facebook group - Post Your Pooch!

Vet bills aren’t getting any cheaper. Costs have jumped more than 60% in the last decade, and pet owners are feeling it. But one new card is actually helping lighten the load.

The Nibbles Pet Rewards Credit Card offers 3x rewards on pet purchases - from vet visits to toys - and even includes free pet insurance for one eligible pet, with no annual fee. It’s a smart way to save while keeping your best friend happy and healthy.

Reward your pet now

^{Nibbles is not a bank. The Nibbles Card is issued by Lead Bank. Fees and T&C apply.}

In the quiet corners of our homes, some spaces remain stubbornly occupied long after they’ve been emptied. A leash hanging by the door, a ceramic bowl tucked in the kitchen corner, or that one specific patch of sunlight on the rug where a furry friend used to nap. For anyone who has ever loved an animal, these aren't just objects; they are the artifacts of a profound, life-altering bond.

For a long time, society has tended to treat the death of a pet with a sort of polite, hurried sympathy—a "sorry for your loss" followed by an unspoken expectation that we should be "over it" within a few days. But a groundbreaking study recently featured in The Guardian is finally validating what many of us have known in our hearts: the grief we feel for our pets isn't just "sadness"—it can be as chronic and deep as the loss of a human family member.

The research, published in the journal PLOS One, found that a significant number of pet owners—about 7.5%—experience what clinicians call Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD). This isn't just the initial sting of loss; it’s a heavy, enduring despair that can last for months or even years, making it difficult to return to the rhythms of daily life.

What is most striking about the study is the comparison. That 7.5% figure is almost identical to the rates of intense grief people feel after losing a close friend, a sibling, or a grandparent. For nearly one-fifth of people who had lost both a pet and a human loved one, the loss of their animal companion was actually more difficult to navigate.

Why does it hurt this much? Perhaps it’s because our relationships with our pets are uniquely uncomplicated. They don't judge our failures, they don't hold grudges, and they don't require us to be anything other than ourselves. They are the silent witnesses to our lives—the ones who are there when we come home from a hard day, the ones who know our secrets without us saying a word.

When they leave, we don't just lose a "pet"; we lose a routine, a source of unconditional support, and a part of our own identity. As Professor Philip Hyland, the study’s author, poignantly noted, the symptoms of this grief—the intense longing, the feeling that a part of yourself has died—are identical whether the loved one had two legs or four.

One of the hardest parts of losing a pet is the isolation. We often feel a "surprising shame," worrying that others will think we are being dramatic for grieving "just a dog" or "just a cat." This is what psychologists call disenfranchised grief—pain that isn't openly acknowledged or socially supported.

This new research is a powerful step toward changing that. By suggesting that clinical guidelines should be expanded to recognize pet loss as a legitimate cause of Prolonged Grief Disorder, experts are opening the door for better support, more compassion, and a lot less "should-ing" ourselves about how we feel.

If you are currently sitting in that quiet house, looking at an empty spot on the sofa, know this: your grief is real. It is legitimate. It is a reflection of the depth of the love you gave and received.

Whether you find comfort in creating a small memorial, sharing stories with friends who "get it," or simply allowing yourself the time to cry without an expiration date, remember that you aren't alone. Science is finally catching up to the heart: a family member is a family member, no matter the species.

The paw prints they leave on our lives are permanent—and it’s okay if the healing takes just as long.

Here are the recent recalls and advisories:

Download our RoverAlert app to receive notifications of missing pets in your area.

Meme of the day - Instagram: @loki_theredtri