Remembering a Pet: Ways on How to Remember Your Dog

Grief is one of the things that makes us human and is a natural response if you have lost a beloved animal. Each of us reacts to the death of a pet in different ways. The depth of grief often depends on our character, the pet’s age, the circumstances of its death, and the presence of other animals in the family.

As a rule, the more important a furry friend has been in your life, the harder it is to survive its loss. For example, if your pet was your only friend, the pain can be unbearable. Unfortunately, such experiences are deeply personal, and psychologists haven’t a universal recipe for coping with these feelings. But some tips on this matter exist.

Remember that whatever the circumstances surrounding the death of your pet, grieving for it is an entirely natural, human reaction. No need to be ashamed of grief or tears. This is not a sign of weakness but proof that you are a normal person who can love.

How to Survive the Death of a Beloved Pet?

Typically, the experience of loss has several stages: shock, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Of course, knowing this will not help you at the first stage, but it may be a little easier to realize that, no matter how difficult the experience may be, sooner or later, it will lessen. 

Don’t keep everything to yourself. Write about your feelings or discuss them with those who are willing to listen and will treat your grief with understanding. If possible, ignore people who cannot understand your feelings or say that “it was just a dog” – even if these people are dear to you. Do not waste your energy on disputes – just limit such contacts. You can come back to them later when you’re ready. It’s great if you can find a support group consisting of people who have also experienced the death of a pet. If your friends or family members can’t understand your feelings, find those who can. A person who has had a similar experience will better understand what you are going through.

Saying goodbye to a pet is always a terrible thing to go through. Unfortunately, pets become beloved family members, and it is easy to get very attached to them. Thankfully, there are many ways that you can immortalize your pet after it has passed on. Here are some of the best ways to do so.

Ways to Remember your Pet

1. Save your Pet’s Belongings

Put the bowls, toys, bedding, and photos of your pet in a box and put them in a far corner. Then, one day, you will be ready to take it out and indulge in pleasant memories with a slight touch of sadness.

2. Pet Portrait

A great way to pay tribute is to commission a painting of your dog or cat. Many online websites offer pet portraits in a variety of sizes and mediums. Often, the choices for mediums include oil, charcoal, watercolor, pencil, or acrylic. You can also choose to incorporate color or keep the portrait black and white. If you want to include multiple pets in the same portrait, you will often upload separate images of each animal. The artist will then combine them into one final product. 

3. Create ornaments

The holidays can be a sad time after losing a pet. Creating an ornament is an excellent way to keep your pet included in the celebrations, even after it is gone. Typically, people make Christmas tree ornaments that relate in some way to the pet. For example, they can upload a photo of the pet to a website where the company will transfer it onto an ornament. Another option is if you have an outline of the pet’s paw, you can engrave onto an ornament. Hopefully, having a memorial piece of your pet will help you make it through the holidays a little bit easier.

A company will make a cast of your dog’s nose and make silver jewelry from it. Then, touching the pendant, you will remember how your dog touched you with his wet, cold nose.

Many companies offer to turn the ashes of a deceased friend into real gems, which can then be placed in jewelry. The production of ritual synthetic diamonds will cost from $250 – $4,500 USD depending on the stone’s size and color.

You can use the wet felting method to make jewelry, toys, a phone case or glasses, paintings, and much more. Of course, it all depends on the amount and length of its hair. You can even order sweaters or socks if you want, but you will have to collect the material for threads in advance.

READ MORE: Signs a Dog is dying of Cancer

4. Tattoos

Getting a tattoo is a permanent reminder of the love that you and your pet shared. People often tattoo their pet’s name, image or pawprint onto their body. 

If you are not ready to commit to this type of permanent memorial, you can also consider getting a temporary tattoo. You can customize this to be exactly as you want and then apply it to your skin with a wet cloth and pressure. If you end up liking the design, you may eventually decide to make it permanent. 

5. Create a memory location

If you have a garden or some quiet place on your property, you can dedicate a parcel to your favorite pet to create a place for memories. For example, you can install a memorial stone with your pet’s name or add a stone or cast a metal statue of your pet (dog, cat, bird, etc.).

Many peoples have long used trees as symbols of life and existence, bridging the gap between Earth and Heaven, such as the tree of life in Christianity and Judaism and the world tree “Yggdrasil” in Norse mythology. However, leaving aside the deep symbolic implications, planting a tree in memory of your beloved pet offers a wonderful way to decorate your yard or public space by erecting a living memorial that you can enjoy for years to come. 

Many companies can plant a tree in honor of a favorite pet. Typically, these companies plant a tree in a state or national park and then send the designated recipient a printed card or certificate.

6. Make a charitable donation

Pet owners often claim that their animals help them become better people. This is true, as pets can, in humans, bring out a sense of patience, responsibility, and affection. With that in mind, making a charitable donation after a pet has passed away is a good way to remember it. A common choice is donating to an animal rescue organization, especially if that is where your pet came from in the first place. 

READ MORE: Signs that Your Dog is Getting Old

7. Donate Pet’s items

Having your pet’s bed, food bowls, and toys lying around the house can be too stark of a reminder for some people. Gather up these items (or have someone help you with it if it is too difficult) and reach out to someone who may be in need. Many animal shelters are glad to receive these types of donations. You can also advertise on social media, offering the items for free to whoever needs them. You may find that someone just down the road can put these to good use. 

8. Write an obituary

If you have small children, this is an excellent way to help them through the grieving process and share good memories. Write down all the good things that you remember about the pet. Include details, such as its favorite toy or its frequent nap spot. This can be a difficult exercise, but it will help to cry and laugh together as a family. It is also a good memento for your children as they grow up so that they can remember their childhood pet. When you finish the obituary, you can either frame it or store it safely in a drawer for later reference. 

9. Do not forget about important rituals

Rituals are often associated with the loss of a person; for example, funerals. However, even in the case of a pet, they can help you work through your trauma. Funerals allow you and your loved ones to express feelings openly and in a safe environment. Another idea is to make a photo album of pictures of your pet to keep a memory of it. After death, a person is faced with a void inside-rituals allow you to fill this void with pleasant and kind memories. Of course, this will not automatically help you survive the grief. 

Finally, remember that the average life expectancy of pets is much shorter than that of humans. Perhaps you really did everything you could for your pet, giving it a lot of happy moments. In any case, look for methods that are best for you. Remember that everyone has their own pace, so accept support. Experiencing grief is difficult, but it will not last forever.