Because pets provide unconditional love to their owners for many years, when that special pet dies, the owner’s feeling of grief can be overwhelming. The loss is definitely worthy of acknowledgement and therefore deserving of a memorial, which can help alleviate some of the grief. The following memorials will help you decide how you will want to memorialize your beloved pet.
Various Pet Memorial Choices
- Picture Frame – You can display a favorite picture of your pet in a memorial picture frame, which often includes comforting poems or verses reflecting the special relationship between your pet and yourself.
- Sympathy Kit – This type of kit honors the memory of the pet while helping to ease your grief process. Designers that specialize in pet loss memorials have created what is called a life celebration sympathy kit intended to help grieving pet owners. Most kits are made up of some type of sachet large enough to store a dog or cat collar, its ID tag, a small favorite toy, or other cherished reminder of the pet.Also included in most kits is a healing memorial candle for the pet owner to light in memory of the pet. A stationary item of some type is part of the kit so that you can record your favorite memories shared with your dog or cat. A photo frame of some kind is normally included along with some type of stationary item to record favorite memories shared with your pet.
- Pet Memorial Jewelry – Grieving pet owners honor the life of a beloved pet by wearing a tasteful piece of memorial jewelry. A wide variety of designs are available. Whether worn to remember a deceased dog or cat, pet memorial jewelry can also be personalized if desired.Like any kind of jewelry, pet memorial jewelry can be worn as a necklace or bracelet. It can be a charm, pendant, pocket reminder, or keychain made from various materials, such as silver, gold, titanium, platinum, and copper in a variety of finishes and sometimes containing gemstones.
- Memorial Stone or Statue – To honor the memory of a beloved pet, grieving pet owners also opt for a memorial stone or statue, which are normally displayed outdoors. A popular choice is a garden stone, which is offered in a variety of different styles and designs that work well as stepping stones which help bring back pleasant memories of being outside with your pet.
- Pet Urn – Beautifully crafted urns in a large or small size can be personalized with the name of your beloved pet and other pertinent dates and information. Many children are close to their pets, and having an urn also allows them to go through the grieving process.
Memorial Gifts Available Online
Many of the memorial gifts detailed above are found online. For instance, Pampered Paws Gifts offers the following items.
- Picture Frames – Various memorial photo frames are available, such as a wood frame with a glossy laminate overlay that can also be personalized. The convenient easel allows you to use it as a tabletop display or as a wall mount. Another easel back photo frame is an elegant porcelain frame with a heart shaped opening and the words, “Forever in our Hearts.”A unique frame called Canvas Art is a creative treatment of your beloved pet’s photo, making the piece a lasting keepsake you will be proud to display anywhere in your home or office. The frame features any photo of your cat or dog, plus its name and optional commemorative dates.Printed on tan, grey, or black canvas, one of three custom verses of your choice surrounds your pet’s picture. The Canvas Art is printed with archival inks on hand-stretched gallery-wrapped artist canvas, making it suitable for hanging as is or for custom framing.
- Sympathy Kits – the sympathy kit, or Luxepets Remembrance Kit, contains a hand-embroidered keepsake sachet made of iridescent satin, a memorial candle, photo frame, and a set of three remembrance note cards, one for you to keep and the remaining two to share with close friends and/or a family member.
- Pet Memorial Jewelry – Handcrafted pendants come with a 20″ cable chain, and 100% lead-free pewter pocket reminders accommodate engraving of up to eight letters on the back. Also included in this jewelry collection is a hand-stamped copper keychain and personalized necklaces, which consist of a hand stamped sterling silver charm, small sterling paw charm or wing charm, and Swarovski crystal birthstone on a sterling silver 18″ ball chain.
Pendants include:
- puffy heart-shaped pendant with a blackened paw and “Always in my heart” inscription
- paw-shaped pendant with a missing teardrop and “Forever Missed” inscribed on the back; a teardrop charm with a blackened bone hangs next to the paw
- square pendant with a halo above a dog bone, inscribed with “In Loving Memory.”
Pocket reminders include:
- rounded heart with a blacked paw and “Always in my heart” inscribed on the front
- square with a halo above a dog bone inscribed with “In Loving Memory”
- paw with missing teardrop charm displaying a blackened bone
- Pet Memorial Stones or Statues – Pet Memorial Statues are made of cold cast ceramic. Choose from a dog or cat figure with a halo and angel wings lying in a peaceful, eternal sleep with “Loyal Pet” as an inscription along the base. Pet memorial garden stones for a dog or cat are made of cold cast ceramic with thoughtful inscriptions.
- Urns – Pet urns range from a unique ceramic urn specially designed to accommodate a photo, name, and dates to wooden personalized urns, which include red alder and hand-carved rosewood, to several engraved brass urns. Cylinder cremation jewelry is also available.