As a pet parent, one of the most difficult things that you have to go through is losing your beloved furry friend. Whether your pet’s passing is expected or sudden, the grief that comes with it is so intense, just like how you grieve the passing of a relative or friend.
Although it may seem unfair that the lives of our pets are much shorter than ours, the best way to honor them is to celebrate their memories. The following are the most meaningful ways of remembering your beloved pets.
Choose Your Pet’s Final Resting Place
Sometimes deciding what to do with your pet’s remains can be tricky. Although you can choose to bury them on your property. If this is appealing to you, then you should have a customized plaque that is specially created for your pet.
Or perhaps you might decide to scatter your pet’s ashes in a very special place. Consider the special places where both of you spent your time together, for instance, a body of water, a trail, a park, etc.
Organize a Memorial Service
Having a memorial service is the best way to gather the people who mean a lot to your pet or who mean a lot to you. In this way, you can share together what made your pet so special. You can hold the memorial in a place where your pet spent most of his time, either at your home or at your pet’s favorite park.
Talk about how much you love your pet and what things you like about them. You can also ask others to share their memories of your pet. Spending at least an hour or so to honor your pet can provide you with comfort, most especially during those early stages of grief.
Garden
Gardens represent life and eternal growth. You can plant flowers or a tree to honor your pet. Another option would be to purchase or make a garden stone with the name of your pet engraved on it.
You can put this in your garden. Some people choose to use the food container of their pet as a planter. In this way, you can never forget your pet every time you see your garden. Additionally, you will establish a life out of the other life that has ended.
Donate to an Animal Organization
Remember all the things that your pet brought to your life. That is why it is only appropriate that you should consider donating to honor them so that other animals will also do the same to someone else. Perhaps you can donate to the shelter where you adopted them from.
Or you can give your donation to a specific cause, like an animal cancer foundation, in case the cause of death of your pet is cancer. In some shelters, they will permit you to sponsor one of their pets, like paying for their toys, treats, and medical care. The money that you would have spent on your pet can be donated to other animals so you can turn the loss into love.
Get a Tattoo
If you like tattoos, then you can have a tattoo that reminds you of them, such as their face, name, or other things, such as their favorite food or toy. This is a fantastic way of commemorating them. In this way, even if they cannot be with you physically anymore, their memory will always be with you no matter where you are.
Carry a Unique Reminder
Most likely, the first thing that you bought for your pet was an ID tag. Simply keep this tag on your key ring so you can always remember them. You can assure that their spirit will always be with you wherever you go.
Have a Jewelry Keepsake
There are different types of jewelry that you can choose from, such as pendant necklaces where you can place your pet’s ashes on it, or perhaps gemstones that are created from your pet’s remains. These are wonderful options for always keeping your precious pet close to your heart.
Acquire a Custom Piece of Art
Several artists out there have expertise in creating incredible works of art based on a pet’s photo. If you don’t know where to start, then you can search Facebook, Instagram, Etsy, or search on Google. Typically, you will be required to submit between one to five pictures of your pet. Based on these photos, the artist will create a custom piece.
When choosing a photo, you can go through the memorabilia that you have gathered through the years and select a particularly special photo. The photo could be during a memorable moment when you spent time together or it could be a picture that captures your pet’s essence.
The piece of art can either be in the form of sketches, prints, watercolors, oil paintings, etc. Another option would be to have the face of your pet printed on a blanket or crocheted onto a throw pillow. A custom pillow is an excellent way of remembering your furry friend. You can make your pet pillows unique by having a high-quality image of your pet printed into the fabric. You can create a unique shape of your pillow. So, whenever you miss them, you can simply hug the pillow.
There are various options out there that you can choose from. Show your creativity in celebrating your pet’s unique personality and everything they brought to your life.
Make a Photo Album
If you have several photos of your pet, you can gather them all and place them in an album. So, whenever you want to, you can always grab it. You can either choose to create your own album or you can design and order them online. Aside from the quotes, you can also include some quotes that can help you remember the times when both of you are still together. These are the memories that you don’t want to forget.
Adopt Another Pet
Although it can be frustrating to think that one day you will lose them again, this is also a great way of honoring your pet’s life. You are giving another animal a chance to experience the love you have given to your beloved pet. It is a fact that adopting a new pet will not be able to replace the lost one. However, this can help in bringing back happiness into your life. Knowing that you have saved a life can make you feel better.
Additionally, there is no need to rush things. If you are not yet ready to adopt again, it is okay. Instead, you can choose to volunteer at your local shelter. This can help you get the cuddles and kisses you’ve been missing without committing to a huge responsibility.
There is no right or wrong way of mourning the loss of your beloved companion. You can grieve the way you want to. Just make sure that you are not only remembering them, but you are also celebrating their life and the moments that you have spent together. Although your pet is irreplaceable, its memories will live forever.
Rainbow Bridge Pet Memorials can create a customized pet memorial stone for your beloved companion. You can even create a design of your own. For more information, you can call us at 208-253-4557 or 1-866-276-2548. You can also send us an email at [email protected].
