In recent years workplace leave policies and related legal frameworks have expanded to address a broader range of employee needs, including bereavement, pregnancy loss and paid family leave.

Against this backdrop, legislators also are increasingly recognizing the personal and emotional significance of companion animals. As that recognition continues to expand, employers may be seeing early signs of a broader legal shift extending into the workplace, reflected in emerging proposals for pet care and pet bereavement leave laws.

As of the 2025–2026 legislative cycle, several states have introduced bills addressing pet-related leave, though none has yet been enacted into law. For example:

• In Missouri, House Bill 3207 would require employers to provide bereavement leave following the death of an employee’s pet, including a limited paid component.
• In Illinois, Senate Bill 1670 would amend the Illinois’ Family Bereavement Leave Act to include “covered companion animals,” providing unpaid leave for pet loss.
• New York lawmakers have proposed expanding existing leave framework with Assembly Bill A.791 which would allow employees to use paid sick leave to care for a companion or service animal, integrating pet-related needs into the state’s existing sick leave law.

Prior Attempts to Introduce Pet Leave at the State and Local Level

Although none of these bills have been enacted, they build on earlier legislative efforts and reflect growing attention to pet-related leave across...

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