In recent years, workplace leave policies and related regulations have expanded to address a broader range of employee needs, including bereavement, pregnancy loss and paid family leave.
Against this backdrop, legislators are also increasingly recognizing the importance of the personality and emotions of companion animals. As that recognition grows, employers may be seeing the first signs of broader legal change expanding into the workplace, reflected by proposals emerging around pet care and bereavement leave laws.
As of the 2025-2026 legislative cycle, several states have introduced bills dealing with pet-related holidays, though none have been enacted into law. For example:
- In Missouri, House Bill 3207 would require employers to provide bereavement leave after the death of an employee’s pet, including a limited paid portion.
- In Illinois, Senate Bill 1670 would amend Illinois’ Family Bereavement Leave Act to include “covered pets,” providing unpaid leave for the loss of a pet.
- New York lawmakers have proposed expanding the existing sick leave plan through Assembly Bill A.791 which would allow employees to use paid leave to care for a spouse or service animal, adding requirements related to pets to the state’s existing sick leave law.
The First Effort to Introduce Animal Welfare at the State and Local Sectors
Although none of these bills have been enacted, they build on previous legislative efforts and reflect the increasing attention paid to pet-related holidays across jurisdictions. For example, in Maryland, a 2020 bill, Senate Bill 260, would have allowed employees to use paid leave after the death of a pet. In the end the legislation did not make it out of committee.
At the local level, New York City previously introduced the Int. 1089-2024, which would have amended the city’s Earned Safe and Sick Time Act to allow employees to use paid leave to care for a spouse or service animal. Although the proposal was not made, it did show attempts to include pet-related requirements in existing holiday properties rather than creating a separate holiday category.
Emerging Employer Strategies
Although there is no legal mandate, some employers have begun to take into account the needs of employees related to pets in their leave policies. More and more companies are offering limited vacation or limited “pawternity” days after adopting or losing a pet, often as part of employee health and benefits plans.
Although these policies may not be standard workplace benefit offerings, they reflect the ongoing expectations of employees that may inform future legal developments.
Important Legal and Policy Questions
Currently, no state in the US requires private employers to offer bereavement or sick leave, and the current landscape is fragmented and experimental. However, as employee expectations change and legal interest grows, animal-related holidays may change from informal requests to more formal workplace ones – prompting employers to review their policies and determine how to respond.
When evaluating how to handle pet-related leave, employers may wish to consider several key factors, including:
- Paid versus unpaid leave: Whether holidays should be paid, partially paid or included in the paid holiday rules. Current legal proposals range from fully unpaid leave to limited paid benefits or a combination of paid sick leave.
- Definition of “animal”: How “animal” is defined for eligibility purposes.
- Publication Area: What conditions qualify for leave, such as illness, bereavement, adoption or emergencies.
As these issues continue to evolve, employers can benefit from reviewing their pet-related leave policy and aligning policies with broader employee expectations and operational requirements.
If you are an employer considering adopting or revising pet leave policies, contact Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP for guidance.
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