When Animals Hurt Us: Understanding PTSD from Animal-Related Injuries & Attacks
With years of experience as a Veterinary Technician and in Equine Therapy, animal lover and Intern Counsellor Olivia Robillard explores the impact of PTSD following animal attacks and how we can navigate the healing process.
Animals enrich our lives in profound ways. Whether they’re our beloved pets, trusted working partners, or simply part of the environment we live and work in, many of us feel a deep sense of connection to animals. Dogs offer loyalty and companionship, horses embody strength and grace, and even farm animals or wildlife often symbolize freedom, beauty, or purpose.
But what happens when that connection is violently interrupted by an injury or attack? A playful dog suddenly bites. A trusted horse kicks or bolts. A farm animal reacts unpredictably, or a wildlife encounter takes a dangerous turn. In those moments, the body goes into survival mode — adrenaline pumps, heart races, instincts take over. And even after the physical wounds heal, the psychological injuries can linger much longer.
For some people, these experiences lead to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) — a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening or terrifying event. When it comes to PTSD, we often associate it with human violence — assaults, car accidents, war. But animal-related trauma is also a significant and often overlooked trigger for PTSD. This kind of trauma carries unique emotional complexities, particularly when the animal involved was one the person trusted, loved, or needed to rely on in their daily life.
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Recognizing PTSD After an Animal Attack
PTSD from animal-related injuries doesn’t always appear immediately. In fact, it’s common for symptoms to take weeks or even months to fully surface. This delayed onset can make it harder for people to recognize what’s happening — especially if they assumed that once the physical injury healed, the event was “in the past.”
Common Symptoms of Animal-Related PTSD
· Intrusive Memories – Repeated flashbacks or nightmares about the attack. Even unrelated animal encounters might trigger these memories.
· Avoidance – Avoiding all animals (even species unrelated to the incident), staying away from farms, trails, or neighborhoods where the event occurred, and refusing to talk about the experience.
· Hypervigilance – Feeling constantly on edge, scanning the environment for potential danger, overreacting to sudden movements, barking dogs, or unexpected sounds.
· Negative Changes in Mood and Thoughts – Persistent fear, sadness, or a sense of doom around animals. Many people experience shame or guilt, especially if the incident involved a pet they loved or an animal they cared for professionally.
· Physical Reactions – Racing heart, sweating, dizziness, or nausea when confronted with animals, reminders of the attack, or even certain sounds (like barking or hoofbeats).
Why Animal-related PTSD Can Be Especially Complex
There’s something uniquely painful about being hurt by an animal — especially one we trusted or loved. If the injury came from a family pet, the emotional conflict can be profound: “I know they didn’t mean it, but I can’t stop feeling afraid.” If the injury came from an animal the person relied on for work (like a horse on a ranch or a livestock guardian dog), the trauma becomes tangled up with identity and livelihood.
For animal lovers and professionals — trainers, vets, farmers, or equestrians — the trauma can also threaten their sense of competence. They may begin to doubt their instincts or skills, worrying that they missed warning signs or failed to act correctly. This self-blame can amplify feelings of guilt and inadequacy, creating a spiral that feeds into the PTSD symptoms.
In rural communities or animal-related professions, avoidance is often impossible. Someone who was injured by a horse on the family farm may still have to work with horses daily. A vet who was bitten during a routine exam may have to face similar situations again immediately. This constant re-exposure can make healing even harder.
The Human-Animal Bond
Animal-related PTSD can also stir up complicated grief. If the animal involved was euthanized or rehomed after the incident, the person may mourn the loss while also feeling relief that the threat is gone. This kind of mixed emotion — grief, guilt, relief, fear — can be deeply confusing, especially in cultures or professions that pride themselves on loving animals unconditionally.
The emotional impact of losing a bond with a pet or animal after an incident, such as an attack or injury, can be profound and multifaceted. Animals often hold deep emotional significance for their owners, offering companionship, trust, and security. When that bond is suddenly broken — either due to an injury caused by the animal or because the animal must be rehomed or euthanized — the emotional consequences can be overwhelming, affecting both the person and the pet involved.
Emotional Reactions and Grief
Loss of Trust: After a traumatic event involving a pet, the human’s sense of trust may be severely impacted. Even if the animal’s behavior was unpredictable, or it acted in a way that was uncharacteristic, the emotional fallout can be significant. People often experience intense confusion, guilt, and sadness over the situation, wondering how to reconcile their love for the animal with the fear or harm it caused.
Complicated Grief: If the animal is rehomed or euthanized after the attack, the human may feel a mix of emotions. They may grieve the loss of their companion while also feeling relief that the threat has been removed. This mixed emotional response — grief, guilt, fear, and sometimes even relief — can complicate the healing process and make it harder for the individual to process the loss fully. This is especially true for individuals who are deeply connected to their pets or rely on them for specific tasks (e.g., service animals, working animals).
Self-Blame and Shame: In cases where the animal is a pet or working animal, the individual may experience feelings of self-blame, thinking they could have prevented the attack or injury. This is common in those who are professionally involved with animals, such as veterinarians, trainers, or farmers, who may question their judgment or skills. These feelings of inadequacy can make it more difficult to heal from the trauma, as the individual not only processes the injury but also works through these negative self-assessments.
Loss of Identity: For those who derive a significant part of their identity from their relationship with animals, such as those working with animals in farming, veterinary care, or training, the trauma can also feel like a loss of personal identity. The pain from the event may affect their confidence in their professional abilities, potentially leading to feelings of incompetence, depression, or isolation.
It’s important to recognize that fear after an attack doesn’t mean someone is “weak” or “doesn’t really love animals.” It means their nervous system experienced a real threat and is now working overtime to prevent future harm. Therapy helps separate the emotional aftermath from the reality of the person’s values and identity, allowing them to heal without losing their love for animals.
Impact on the Pet's Emotional State
The trauma doesn’t just affect the human involved; pets themselves can also experience psychological distress after an incident. This can lead to behavior changes that affect the human-animal bond:
Behavioral Changes: The pet may exhibit signs of anxiety, aggression, or fear, particularly if the animal becomes scared or confused after the incident. These behavioral changes might include increased aggression, skittishness, or even a retreat into isolation. For some pets, their reactions could be tied to their own emotional turmoil, as they may not understand the sudden shift in their environment or relationship with their owner.
Owner-Pet Bond Struggles: After the trauma, the bond between the pet and the owner can become strained. The injured person might develop conflicting feelings towards their pet, from fear and resentment to guilt and confusion. The once-trusted relationship is now tainted, leading to emotional distance and difficulties in reestablishing trust.
Difficult Decisions: In extreme cases, the only option might seem to be rehoming the pet or even euthanasia. This decision, while often painful, can feel necessary for the safety and well-being of both the pet and the human involved. The emotional impact of this decision can be significant, leading to grief, guilt, and a sense of loss, all compounded by the trauma of the initial event.
How Therapy Can Help with Animal-Related PTSD
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Recovering from this kind of trauma takes more than just “getting back on the horse.” Real healing requires understanding how the brain and body stored the traumatic memory, and gently working to reprocess and release it.
· Trauma Processing Therapies
o Modalities like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) are evidence-based treatments that help the brain reprocess the memory, reducing its emotional intensity. Clients learn to recall the event without being overwhelmed by fear and distress.
· Gradual Exposure Therapy
o For those who want to rebuild confidence around animals, therapists can guide clients through safe, structured exposure exercises. This could start with looking at pictures of animals, progressing to videos, then to observing animals from a distance — all at the client’s own pace. The goal is to teach the brain that not all animals are dangerous, restoring a sense of safety and control.
· Addressing Self-Blame and Shame
o Therapy helps challenge irrational self-blame. Clients often believe they should have “seen it coming” or “known better.” A therapist helps reframe these beliefs, highlighting how animal behavior is sometimes unpredictable and no amount of experience guarantees perfect control. This shift can ease the emotional weight of guilt and restore self-compassion.
· Nervous System Regulation
o Animal attacks leave the body in a state of chronic hypervigilance. Even unrelated stressors can trigger that fight-or-flight response. Therapists often integrate somatic techniques, such as breathwork, progressive muscle relaxation, or grounding exercises, to help clients retrain their nervous system to recognize safety again.
· Processing Grief and Loss
o If the trauma led to the loss of the animal — either through euthanasia, surrender, or severed bond — therapy offers space to grieve that loss. Processing grief alongside trauma helps ensure that the love for animals isn’t lost along with the sense of safety.
Rebuilding Confidence and Connection
Healing doesn’t always mean reconnecting with animals directly. Some people choose to step away from animal work or pet ownership after trauma — and that’s okay. Therapy helps people make those decisions from a place of empowerment, rather than fear.
For those who do want to rebuild confidence, therapy can also help rediscover the joy of animal connection at a safe, manageable pace. This could mean volunteering at a shelter, taking groundwork lessons with a horse, or adopting a lower-maintenance pet. The goal is autonomy — choosing how to relate to animals on your own terms.
Final Thoughts: Compassionate Healing After Animal Trauma
If you or someone you love is struggling after an animal-related injury, know this: Your trauma is valid. Even if others brush it off as “just a bite” or part of the job, your nervous system knows the truth — that moment was terrifying. Seeking support isn’t about weakness — it’s about giving your mind and body the tools they need to feel safe again.
Therapists trained in trauma, especially those who understand the human-animal bond, can help you heal — without losing the parts of yourself that love and value animals. With the right support, it’s possible to move forward — not just past the fear, but toward a fuller, more confident connection with the world around you.
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Resources
BC Pet Loss Support: https://bcbh.ca/grief-support/pet-loss-support/
Human-Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) – Research on the psychological impact of the human-animal bond www.habri.org
The Association of Animal-Assisted Intervention Professionals (AAAIP) – For those working professionally with animals: https://www.aaaiponline.org/
