Losing a pet is a painful and difficult experience every person will have to go through at some point in their time as a dog or cat owner. Fortunately, there are many different ways to remember and honor the loss of a pet, and many of them can help bring comfort throughout this difficult time.
Personally, I’m not one to hang on to things like dog collars or favorite toys (I’ve moved too many times to be very sentimental about keeping things), but I am very thankful that I had professional photos taken of my dogs Sam, Liddie and The Poodle while they were in their prime. These photos will travel with me wherever I go and are readily available on my phone or computer when I feel compelled to revisit those memories.
Here are some other options:
How to Honor the Loss of a Pet
In addition to or in lieu of professional photos (or photos taken of you and your pet by friends!) I’ve known people who have opted for many of the following ways to honor their pet’s memory:
Urns
Jewelry
Paw casts
Plush toys
Burial pods
Garden stones
Memorial donations
Pet cemetery burial
Your veterinarian may sell or be able to help you with some of these items, like a cast of your pet’s paw or a vessel to hold their ashes.
Some cemeteries will also allow pets to buried with their owners. You can even have your pet’s ashes launched into space. Some other over-the-top, and more expensive, options include cloning, cryo-preserving or taxidermy.
Speak to Someone About Your Loss
However you choose to remember your pet, I do recommend that you talk to a grief counselor if your usual support network is not enough. I know that many people feel that grief over the loss of a companion animal is not as “important” as the grief they would feel for a human being, and some will run out and get another pet immediately, without allowing adequate time to mourn their loss. But the human-animal bond can be very, very profound, and it is appropriate, and ultimately healing, to treat it as such after your beloved pet has passed on.