She has saved my life on many occasions’
Care-experienced young women’s reflections on the significance of pets and the impact of loss
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11941579 |
|---|---|
| Authors | J C Muldoon (0000-0001-9262-4897, University of Edinburgh, corresponding author), J M Williams (0000-0002-0324-0558, University of Edinburgh), Joanne Williams (0000-0002-5633-1592, University of Edinburgh) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 48 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 30-56 |
| Publication date | 2024-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Adoption & Fostering (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0308-5759 • E-ISSN: 1740-469X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/03085759231220408 |
| OpenAlex | W4393037682 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 36 |
This article highlights the significance of pets for five young women with care experience, examining the impact of disruptions to those relationships when moving into or between care settings. Findings show that pets support the transition to independent living and mental health. Participants’ reflections also reveal how pets are a source of comfort and stability for children growing up in families experiencing difficult circumstances. Loss is therefore traumatic because of the support pets provided and the context surrounding loss. Despite their significance, pets were largely absent from discussions and processes associated with managing care transitions. Adults and perceived constraints in residential care dictated what happened with respect to pets. Neither consulted nor supported, children were left to cope on their own. Attention to pets should be an integral part of the process of managing care transitions and it is imperative that the impact of pet loss (at any stage in children’s lives) is understood and supported. Otherwise, the system may inadvertently foster a perpetual loop of mistrust and relational losses. We consider how some local authorities are starting to manage this process (considering pets in the family or foster carers’ homes), and existing guidance on introducing animals in residential care
Developmental psychology · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Geographies of human-animal interactions · Human-Animal Interaction Studies · Psychology · Social Psychology
The Human–Animal Bond and Grief and Loss
Attachment, Development, and Mental Health in Abused and Neglected Preschool Children in Foster Care
“Companion, friend, four-legged fluff ball”
Grieving the loss of a pet
A dog who I know quite well’
The perspectives of young children in care about their circumstances and implications for social work practice
Animals and Attachment Theory
The Nature and Psychological Impact of Child/Adolescent Attachment to Dogs Compared with Other Companion Animals
Pet loss and continuing bonds in children and adolescents
Looked after children and young people’s views on what matters to their subjective well-being
What makes a looked after child happy and unhappy
Does anyone know what is going on? Examining children's lived experience of the transition into foster care
Disconnection and Dislocation
Pet Loss
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Mum cleaned it and I just played with it
My Animals and Other Family
Animals as Lifechangers and Lifesavers
I Can't Give Up When I Have Them to Care for
We Are Family
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1.5 |
| Citation span | 2024 - 2026 (3) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |