The Loss of a Service Dog Through Retirement: Experiences and Impact on Human Partners

Abstract

This study describes the experiences of service dog partners (N=22) whose service dog had retired within the previous five years. The participants were service dog partners who participated in a larger quantitative study (N=56) and agreed to a follow up interview. Guided by bereavement and human-animal bond theories and prior research, researchers coded the interviews using directed content analysis to identify prevalent themes. Findings underscore that the retirement of a service dog is poorly understood by others, and often results in disenfranchised grief about this ambiguous loss. The retirement process is difficult and often partners struggled with the need to quickly acquire another service dog and the subsequent impact this had on their ability to grieve. These results suggest that, given the unique nature of service dogs and the relationship between dog and partner, it is important that service dog organizations, mental health counselors and veterinarians are aware of the challenges and losses associated with the retirement of a service dog and offer appropriate tools and support to their clients during this challenging time.