How to Memorialize a Beloved Pet

Saving the memories of a faithful companion became important to me when I realized it was time to let go of my sweet canine friend, Wilbur. He and I shared many adventured toward the end of his life and I felt that documenting these experiences helped me make the transition from grief to gratitude. I am going through this right now and thought it would be a great idea to share my activities and help other pet owners. 

Wilbur's Memorial Image

Wilbur, my dog, and I only spent a little over two years together, but the experiences we had would have stretched over a lifetime of pet ownership. We traveled and toured the Southwest in awe and wonder. I wish there were a few more places we could have visited, but his time ran short. 

I took pictures of him in different settings and made sure that he was the center of my world while he was a part of my life. I am sure many pet owners do the same thing. 

Save Moments with Your Pet

Grab those furbaby's images and upload precious times to Instagram and Facebook for bookmarking adventures and heartfelt moments. These two platforms are a great way to document your life together.

Facebook is a wonderful place to create a gallery of your little pal's life. I've opened several albums with my pets as the center of the photo collection. I have owned cats, guinea pigs, chickens, and dogs. Remember to fill in the information on each individual photograph as complete as possible and add location tags where necessary. Tell that image's story as best you can.

In time, Facebook will remind you of days gone by with your furry friend, but accept these in celebration, not sadness. These saved moments will be a dedication to your friendship and mark the timeline you both shared. When the image comes up later you can share a smile with your beloved friend and remember their memory warmly.

Instagram is a great way to save the best images you have of your pet in square formatting. The gallery is easily searchable for specific photos and dates that the image was uploaded. Complete the image story as well as possible and use it as a journal process. These images and moments may be expanded later in a blog or story form. Celebrate your pet's life as soon as they enter your world.

Build a Journal of Your Pet's Life

Save documents and lifeline moments of your pet in a folder or journal binder. Include their shot records and life history. Don't forget to add the dates to pages so you can track your history. Use printed paper and photo sleeves to best preserve the items you want to keep. Make sure you keep it in a safe place. I would label the binder's spine with the pet's name, too, so it is easy to locate. 

If you have taken photographs of your pet, look in the properties section of the file folder to find the date of the image. Print out your best images and store them in your journal. Try and write down everything you did together. Include holiday celebrations and vacation times. These are experiences you can enjoy later and share with close friends and family. 

The journal will easily create itself if you take the time to add to it now and then. Set aside time once a month to work on the project and it will fill up in no time. Be especially prudent with writing down the best moments with your pet. Saving their memory will be important to you later for healing and turning grief into gratitude.

My Pet Memorial Journal - Blue

My Pet Memorial Journal - Pink

Zazzle Affiliate Links

Visit my Zazzle store for more items related to pet memorials. It contains sympathy and condolence gifts for pet owners. In this store, I have posted various ways to memorialize a beloved pet. The products range from the Pet Journals to poems like the Rainbow Bridge and An Animal's Prayer. The products may be personalized for a specific pet and customized using your image and text. There are cards and plaques, ornaments and small posters. My dog's image is used as an example for placement.

Sympathy and Condolences for Pets
by Maria Burgess

Losing a pet is never an easy event and it is often a very tearful situation. A journal and memorial process set up in advance make the transition a bit more comfortable. The furry friend has our heart already, do not allow them to steal it away completely when they exit our lives. Celebrate, instead, a life of love and companionship and use these items to heal a heartbreak. Cherished moments can be looked upon with warmth and care. 

Do you have any ideas that might be useful for memorializing a beloved pet? If so, please note them in the comments area.

Thank you for visiting!

The Emotional Cost of a Lost Pet

Our pets are our family. They are our little friends, our companions. They are there for us when no one else is and we care for them deeply. The creature we hold dear to our hearts is such a part of our lives that it is a devastating event when we lose them. Not knowing what happened is the worst part of an animal disappearing. My biggest fear is they are going to get run over by a car or something. 

Locating a Missing Pet

Shelter page with Cashmere's listing

I just went through a brief episode of a lost cat and it was a heart wrenching few days. My cat's brother was with me in the search and seeking of said cat. He looked in the areas around our house, but I had a feeling the cat was nowhere close and called him back inside. We did a quick search of the area but did not find him.

I was prompted by a friend to look on the animal shelter's website. There he was on page three. This picture reminds me of a feline mug shot. He looked really confused and a bit upset, but I was joyful. My beloved cat friend was at least somewhere he could be retrieved. I made plans to go get him as soon as the shelter opened. How lucky I am that he was somewhere safe.



The shelter gave inoculated him, chipped him, and trimmed his left ear. The ear trimming indicates that he has been neutered and is registered in a database. I was a bit upset with the ear thing, but jubilant my cat was found and accessible.

The cats no longer get outdoor privileges. I can't imagine what my Cashmere went through. Think about how he must have felt being captured, stuck in a cage, transported to a facility by strangers, and then poked and prodded by strangers. It has affected him deeply. My other cat begs to go outside, but Cazh is ok being an indoor cat now. He understands what can happen if he gets out again. I am very thankful I was able to find him.

It is better this way. 

The Mercy of Euthanizing a Beloved Pet

This blog will be about fun animal things when I get to posting here, but for now, I want to start with the realities of pet ownership. 

The Emotion of a Final Farewell

Letting an animal go into the mists of the veil is not an easy decision. They are a part of our family. They are a part of us... The character and personality of these beings are ingrained in our hearts the moment we meet them. We look into their eyes and recognize a familiar spirit. The happiness and comfort they bring is irreplaceable and it is sorely missed when they make their exit. There is a big hole in us when they go. 

Grieving follows for a time and it will be a sad moment to look back on years later.  I still shed a tear now and then for my other dog who has been gone over a decade now. The friendships we build with these companion animals is strong and pure. They are always by our side even if they are just a memory.

Surrendering a pet to someone who can humanely put them out of their misery is the most responsible thing a pet owner can do for their beloved. 

I had to do this not too long ago with a small rodent. My guinea pig, Sunshine, had a large mass in her belly and it was not feasible to spend a couple of thousand dollars on a treatment for her. My only option was to have her euthanized and so I did with an emotional turmoil about the choice I had to make for her. The issue was a serious moral quandary. I know it was the right thing to do; to leave an animal suffering is not acceptable. Her well being was a priority even if I had to surrender her to death.

I had no idea that the visit to the veterinarian's office that day would end like it did. I took my time to let go at the office that day. I struggled with this so fiercely. I wanted to just take her home, but I knew that she was suffering and that was not fair to this kind creature. She needed to go. I sat with her. I talked to her. I sang to her. I took pictures of her. I loved her and she will always come to mind anytime I hear the song You Are My Sunshine. It was this song that gave her her name.

Making the Decision to Euthanize a Pet

And here I am again. I must follow through with this same heart-wrenching decision. The canine friend that scolds me when I come through the door at night needs to go to his rest and I shall walk him to the doorway soon. I will request to be there when the vet delivers the sleep medicine so that he'll not be afraid. I will stroke his furry face until it breathes no more. I will do this for my friend. I will cry buckets of tears for my companion and I will hesitate when I walk so that I don't step on the animal that is no longer there. Leaving the routine of a pet behind is as hard as letting them go. 

The best thing we can do for ourselves before this time of mourning is gather a collection of memories and images to honor their life with us. I have a file of pictures that I have captured of this sweet dog so that I can say that I did right by him and showed him how good life is. He was loved and he was cared for and he will be sadly missed. Oh, that this day never had to be... my heart cries.

The event will be posted here when I finally decide it is time for us to part ways. Check back for the update. In the meantime, I want to celebrate this dog's spirit. His lifeline to me was just a couple of years, but we made the most of what time we had together. 

Update: Wilbur left this world about 8 am August 12, 2016. 
His story is told in the Hubpages article below:

How to Give an Old Dog the Time of His Life
http://hubpages.com/animals/How-to-Give-an-Old-Dog-the-Time-of-His-Life

Read more of this dog's history here in my personal companion blog

Simple Terms
Tribute to Wilbur
http://simple-terms.blogspot.com/2016/08/tribute-to-my-dog-wilbur.html

Memorial Binder

Sympathy and Condolences for Pets
by Maria Burgess