Losing a pet is the same or worse than losing a relative, according to 53 percent of people questioned in a new survey from Animalfriends.co.uk

Experts say pet owners become so distraught because the animal is so dependent on them.

1 in 8 seek support, including counselling and medication, after the death of a pet. While 40 percent believe that their pet's spirit will live on, believing that they have been, or will be visited by the animal's ghost.

Owners love their pet so much that one in five is prepared to pay for a proper funeral, while one in five buries their pet in the back garden.