63% of pet owners in the UK say they would feel the loss of a pet every bit as acutely as the loss of a family member, according to a survey carried out by Aquarium, a pet insurance technology integrator (whatever that is). 

Mark Colonnese, Aquarium’s Sales and Marketing Director said: "As someone who owns two dogs, the results of the survey have not come as too much of a surprise to me, but I know that some of my colleagues were pretty surprised just how important we think our pets are."

The survey showed that the feelings were even stronger among women, 71% of whom would regard a pet death as equally upsetting to that of a family member’s, compared to 55% of men.

Mark added: "Our results really highlight the sensitivity of issues surrounding a pet’s death. While this would be obvious to, for instance, a life insurance company, our survey reinforces the need for an empathetic customer journey among pet insurers. The first step of this process is ensuring a smooth, seamless process to minimise stress for newly bereaved pet parents."