It can be hard to get sympathy in the workplace after a pet dies. I experienced this firsthand when I worked at, of all places, a dog bakery. After an entire summer of covering my coworker’s shifts anytime they wanted to go to a concert or go on vacation, I begged for somebody to take my shifts in the days after my dog died to no avail. I worked for about an hour and a half before the owner finally sent me home.

Unfortunately, not every higher-up is as sympathetic to the struggles of mourning pet owners as my boss was. One healthcare worker recently went viral on Reddit after sharing her story of being put on a «Wall of Shame» after calling out of work following her dog’s passing. The fact that she was able to prove this story was unimportant to the management, who seemed willing to shame anyone for any reason.