8 Idaho Animals & Insects Actually Hold Funerals

Dog owners know animal grief is real. 

Researchers have observed dogs mourning the loss of their owners for decades. Like a person in mourning, VCA Animal Hospitals points out dogs display shifts in their behavior you can see, hear, and feel after a loss.

 Dogs alter their behavior when they mourn, much like people do. They may become depressed and listless. They may have a decreased appetite and decline to play. They may sleep more than usual and move more slowly, sulking around. -VCA Animal Hospitals

There's no shortage of sad stories on the internet about dogs refusing to leave their owner's graves. Some sources say it's coincidence, but we disagree.

The truth is animals & insects can grieve just like humans do.

In Idaho, humans aren't the only species that hold funerals. Similar to human death rituals steeped in tradition, these creatures bid adieu to their dead in their own unique ways. Some will carry or drag the departed to a more secluded resting place. Others will dig a grave and bury the corpse where it died.

From the changes in their behavior, to the way their incredible sense of smell leaves them clinging to their owner's scent from six feet under, dogs express their grief. And so do a few of the animals in the gallery below.

Keep scrolling for...

• 8 animals & insect in Idaho that hold funerals

• Everything you need to know about burying Idaho pets

Get our free mobile app

• The Boise funeral home & retirement community in one parking lot

• A tour of the historic headstones of Boise's Joplin Cemetery