Posted on: 19th April 2021

Remembering your pet through a memorial of some kind is a useful way of both honouring their memory, and of creating closure.

Here are 10 great ways to leave a lasting, positive memory for your beloved pet.

  1. Place a memorial stone or plaque in your garden, with a personal message that embodies your favourite things about your pet
  2. Make a named donation to an animal charity – what better way to remember your pet than to pass on their love to another animal
  3. Create a photograph collage or simply a framed photo that you put with your other family and pet photos – keeping your pet as part of the family memory bank will last forever.
  4. Memorialise your pet with a service of some kind – whether a funeral, a simple memorial, a quiet word in a special place, the act of commemoration will help heal, and honour their memory.
  5. Give back by giving your time to a needy animal shelter – not only will this help those animals most in need, but the act itself will help you move forward from your loss.
  6. Create a keepsake that you can carry with you – perhaps a photo of your pet that you put into a keyring holder and on to your car or house keys.
  7. Plant a tree or a lasting plant. One of the greatest living memorials is a plant that carries on living long after your pet, and even you have departed, giving a place for remembrance, reflection and lasting memory.
  8. Adopt a pet – you need to go through the full grieving process before ‘moving on’, but when you are able to make the transition, honour your pet’s memory by adopting a pet that needs a loving home.
  9. Create a lasting online memorial using a digital remembrance book.
  10. Put out a public memorial that is dedicated to your pet, but allows other pet owners to know and celebrate your pet’s life too – for example, if your dog loved to chase tennis balls, put a basket of them out at a park with a message encouraging other owners to grab a ball and play.
10 Ways to Remember Your Pet