Beautiful Ways to Honor A Beloved Pet

Most pet owners would agree that the hardest and saddest part about having a pet is experiencing the loss of a best furry friend. Pets are with us through the good times and the bad times. They give us kisses when we’re sad and they celebrate with us when we’re happy. They snuggle close to us in bed, keeping us warm at night, and they play with us and make us laugh during the day.

It’s no wonder that people the world over dedicated a special day for those who grieve the loss of such a true and loyal friend. This June 12^th is World Pet Memorial Day, a day when the world mourns the loss of their childhood pets, their buddies who got them through that devastating break up, or the loss of a business or job, or maybe even the loss of a human family member or other loved one.

How many of us have been brought to our knees with sadness or anguish, only to find that even as we are at our lowest point in life, with our face to the ground, we are not alone. Because in that moment, we are met with a sweet, wet nose nudging us with love, and showing us the kind of unconditional compassion and devotion that few human beings have ever known or felt for another.

After all, isn’t that what makes pets so special? Their unconditional, undying, and unending love for us. They don’t care who you are, where you live, how much money you make. They won’t write a memoir about how horrible their childhood was because you only gave them sticks to play with, instead of the twenty-dollar chew toys other pets get from the fancy pet stores. You won’t find them laid out on a couch complaining about how you leave them home alone all day and most nights, and how they feel left out and abandoned. No. They’re happy to see you any time and every time you come home, and they miss you if you’re gone for eight hours or eight minutes, or even eight seconds when you take out the trash and then can barely get through the door because they’re jumping on you and trying to kiss you like it’s been hours or weeks since they last saw you. Even most children don’t have that kind of love for their parents.

The end of a pet’s life can be difficult, scary and even painful for your furry friend. Illness can come on slowly or quickly, and often times, the decision to put your pet to sleep is made within days or even hours of the actual event. It’s important to remember that while these difficult times take an emotional toll, they are also going to be hard on your finances, as well.

As hard as it is to think about, putting a pet to sleep is a veterinary procedure that comes with certain costs. It may be of some relief to know that many pet insurance providers cover this cost, if the pet is insured. Otherwise, this financial burden will be the pet owner’s responsibility.

But just like a funeral only marks the beginning of the grieving process for humans, so to does the euthanasia process for pets. In the days and weeks right after the loss, it can be hard to even imagine a life without them. But as most of us know, life does go on, and there are many beautiful ways to honor a beloved pet, including, but not limited to:

• Adopt another pet – not as a replacement, but as an extension of your love, and to save another life, because if your pet could, you know that he or she would want to save as many lives as possible.
• Surround yourself with special moments and memories of your pet’s life, including photos and mementos, like your pet’s favorite toys, collar, leash and any other accessories your pet may have used.
• Make a donation in honor of your beloved pet to a pet or animal charity.
• Use social media to create a memorial post with text, photos and/or videos of special memories and moments.
• Wear a special piece of jewelry with your pet’s name, paw print or even that has their tag on it.
• Plant a memorial tree or flower garden.

A company called Pet Perennials  uses the ashes of a beloved pet to create wafers in which they put flower seeds that can then be sown in a garden, or even in pots. It’s a beautiful and life affirming way to honor any friend, but especially a furry one.

Pets are family members and losing a pet is just as painful, if not often more so, then losing a human. They’re there for us when we need them, and they stick around even when we think we don’t. One glance or wink, or lick or smile from a beloved pet can make even the worst day seem a little better. And that is why we honor, celebrate and remember our beloved pets around the world on this World Pet Memorial Day.