Yahoo Movies 'This Morning' guest angers viewers as she declares pet bereavement leave is 'a scam' and 'bonkers'
This Morning guest Anna May Mangan has been branded “cold hearted” and “heartless” for claiming that people shouldn’t be given days off to grieve the death of a pet.
Mangan appeared on This Morning with Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford to debate pet bereavement after a woman launched a petition after she lost her job when she took a day off following the death of her pet dog.
Refusing to hold back, Mangan declared that no one should be eligible for pet bereavement leave.
Read more: Ruth Langsford walks off 'This Morning' set when mental health phone-in hits close to home
After she called it a “scam”, Mangan added: “I don’t think it’s deserved.
“I think it puts the pressure of losing a pet on your colleagues and your employer which isn’t reasonable.
“They’re not fur babies, they’re pets. I love dogs and the interesting point I think is that I’m actually vegetarian, I don’t eat animals but I see other people mourning their pets who are quite happy to eat a duck dinner or a rabbit dinner.”
Referring to her own experience with animals, Mangan continued to comment: “This is a little bit bonkers. I’ve had three dogs in my lifetime and the most recent one [died] about six months ago.
“It’s heartbreaking but it doesn’t stop me feeding the kids or getting them to college.
“It’s a pet at the end of the day, it’s not a person. And I didn’t need time off to arrange a funeral and hymns, and a eulogy for my pet, so what are they doing on their day off?”
Read more: 'This Morning' viewers outraged as guest says children should be trained like dogs
This Morning viewers were quick to criticise Mangan for her comments.
“#thismorning the horrible cold hearted woman talking about pet bereavement not being the same as losing a person! Errrr hello my dogs are more important than any person!,” wrote one.
Another commented: “Heartless woman how dare she compare her had hair day to a family pet dying. They are members of the family. #thismorning.”
“What an awful woman! I don’t want children and my dog is my family! I would be utterly devastated if anything ever happened to him #thismorning,” a third user of the social networking site shared.
“Wow that woman has no compassion!!! #thismorning,” came the response from a different account.
