Do Animals Suffer Psychologically?

"You’ve said animals have the same being we do, but I assume they don’t have self-reflection in the way we do. Do animals suffer psychologically, or do they just experience physical pain and pleasure? Rupert says: ‘Yes, anyone who has had a dog knows that their dog suffers psychologically. Not in the way that a human does, but yes, there is some psychological suffering. Dogs express sorrow. And excitement. Excitement is only possible when you anticipate the future. You’re never excited about what’s happening now, by definition, because it’s happening. You can only be excited about something that’s not yet happening. And dogs feel excitement. So, there is some modicum of suffering. It’s not the full-blown experience of suffering that we have. But yes, I would suggest that animals do suffer psychologically.’"

From event 05 - 12 October, 2025 Seven-Day Retreat at Garrison Institute, 5–12 October 2025

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