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pet memorials

Beautiful Ways to Memorialize Your Pet

Our pets become an integral and vital part of our life and family. The animals we bring into our lives offer a special and unique type of relationship. It is a relationship that we celebrate and honor. These are bonds that bring us joy and comfort - creating memories we want to hold on to. Parting from our beloved pets is a process that deserves as much respect and love as our pets bring to us.

We wanted to share some of the ways pet parents decide to celebrate and remember their pets with a sense of continued life, hope, and memorial.

Ideas for creating cherished memories of your pet

dog memorial

There are many ways to celebrate and remember the life of our beloved pet family. And, we think the most important consideration is to find the way that is most personal to you.

Build a lasting memory based on your individual story and relationship with your pet. Maybe one (or more) of these ideas will be a good option for you.

Host a service

memorial service

We form connections with our pets in similar ways to the bonds we form with other human beings. Many of us may not have thought to hold a service in memory for our pets, but this can be a great way to continue a healthy grieving process - by formally saying goodbye.

You can hold a service at your pet's favorite park, or the lake they enjoyed. Maybe your backyard or a hiking trail you commonly visited.

Consider inviting friends and family who have pets you may have hosted "play dates" with. Or people you know who can relate to this moment and relationship in your life.

Again, keep it personal to you and your pet. Find a place or an activity that represents the life you shared and allow yourself and others to celebrate formally with a beautiful service.

Pet cemetery

pet cemetery

You may enjoy knowing that your pet is in the company of other animals. In this case, there are designated cemeteries for pets. This will allow you to create a unique marker to identify their memory, and it will give you a consistent and reliable place to visit in the future.

And if you have decided to host a service, a pet cemetery can be a suitable location with accommodations and resources available for planning.

Create a work of art

pet memorial art

This is a great way to get even more personal with the way you memorialize your pet. You could commission a professional artist to render your pet's portrait that you can hang in a living room, bedroom, or office. Consider a framed photo for the hallway or a plaster cast of their paw to mount in their favorite spot to nap around the house.

There are endless ways to make a piece of art that ensures a beautiful memory you can revisit and keep with you.

Donate in your pet’s name

pet donation memorial

Making a donation in your pet’s name can be a lasting and meaningful way to contribute to further life and growing memories for yourself or others. Perhaps you could donate a bench or toys to a favorite park you often visited. Or you could donate to research that focuses on medical care for animals. Maybe there is a particular rescue organization or shelter you would like to support. There are also a variety of non-profits and hospitals that accept donations for the care and housing of pets.

You could keep it even more personal and set up a fund that designates finances for friends, families, or other pet parents in need of financial assistance for their pets' care.

Life journal

pet life journal

Maybe you want to remember the life and relationship you had with your pet in greater detail. Creating a memory journal of their life can be a great way to do this. You can include photos, a birth certificate, and share stories. Document fond memories you had with your pet, but also leave space for when you remember more. Maybe you create room for others to write out their memories with your pet. The journal can be open ended - a resource for ongoing thoughts and remembrances along the way.

You could also create a digital journal or online memorial. Using digital resources for a journal allows you to include as many photos or videos as you like.

Memory chest

pet memory chest

A memory chest (or box) can be a nice place to store larger items, like favorite toys, pet clothing, a collar or leash. The chest will also give you a way of returning to the memorabilia during those times when you want to revisit and remember the wonderful times and things you had with your cherished pet.

Create new life

dog tree memorial

One of the most significant ways to honor any life is to create new life. Living memorials can be a great alternative to a traditional gravesite or a way to elevate a grave into a memory that further generates life. Maybe your pet had a particular tree they would lie beneath, or a flower bed they enjoyed sniffing around. Or perhaps your pet enjoyed joining you on your home desk or napping in a particular room.

If you are looking for an idyllic way to memorialize your pet in an outdoor setting, consider growing a living memory tree. Using The Living Urn’s patent-pending tree pod burial system, you can watch a tree, flower, or plant grow in memory of your pet. The Living Urn's offerings allow you to plant your pet's ashes to grow into a beautiful and lasting memory - creating sustained life.

You can also grow life indoors or on the patio. Choose from a variety of pet urns to grow a bonsai tree, flower, or plant. Keep the urn on your desk, a mantle in the living room, the patio, or a special place in your home that reminds you of your pet. This type of uniquely designed urn is perfect if you want to keep your memory close by and effortlessly move with you throughout life.

We wish you all the best in your journey toward deciding on how you will memorialize and remember your beloved pet.

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