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Most people who have dogs consider their dog part of the family. This is especially true if you don’t have kids. I know that my husband and I consider both of our dogs (and our 2 cats!) to be our kids.
So what do you do with your pet after he has passed away? You probably want to give him the same dignity and respect that you would give a family member. (I know we did.)
A pet memorial is a great way to memorialize your dog after he has passed on.
It’s completely up to you how you want to memorialize your beloved dog:
- You could make your own unique marker or storage box for mementos of your dog.
- Or, you could buy a professional dog memorial that will serve as a reminder of your time with your dog for years to come.
Here are some ideas for creating a unique and long-lasting dog memorial for your pet…
Pet Memorial Ideas
There are a few unique ways that you can honor the memory of your dog right now, as well as a number of unique things you can do to create a lasting tribute to your dog.
Here are some of my favorites:
- Plant a tree in your dog’s name, which would serve as a lasting tribute to your beloved pet.
- Create a customized piece of art in the likeness of your dog to be hung in your home or office.
- Place your dog’s ashes in a pet memorial urn, and display it somewhere in your home. Pet urns come in all shapes and sizes.
- If you have lots of photos of your dog, then you might want to consider a digital photo urn.
- Purchase a grave marker or headstone with a photo and/or personalized message about your dog.
- Make a shadow box filled with your dog’s favorite things.
- Put your dog’s photo in a pet memorial photo frame.
- Fill a pet memorial keepsake box with mementos and personalized dog items.
- Have a pet historian make a memory catcher filled with your favorite stories and memories of your dog.
- Place one or more pet memorial stones in your garden, a pathway, or near your dog’s favorite places in the backyard.
- Spin your dog’s fur into something meaningful, fun, and long-lasting.
- Create a laser engraved plaque that you can hang in your home.
- Scatter your dog’s ashes yourself in one or more of his favorite places, or schedule an aerial ash scattering.
- Keep your dog’s ashes in a locket worn around your neck. You can choose regular jewelry for ashes, or pet styles featuring paw prints. Or, have your dog’s cremains incorporated into the jewelry itself.
How We Made A Pet Memorial
When we had to put our cat down, it was something that my husband and I had a hard time with.
The staff members are our local vet sent us the Rainbow Bridge poem. They also gave us many options on what to do with our beloved cat.
The first was for us to bring him home and bury him. We chose to have him cremated. Then we brought his ashes home in an urn.
As a constant reminder of his time with us, we placed the urn on a shelf. His collar is around his urn, along with his favorite toy. We also have a small box with a locket of his fur and a couple of whiskers we found after he passed.
That is how we chose to memorialize our pet after his death.
Preparing For Your Dog’s Last Days
If your beloved pet has not passed on yet but you know that your time together is short, your best course of action at this point is to prepare yourself for that fateful day.
It’s never easy, but if your dog has been sick for some time and/or is in lots of pain, then now is the time to get your heart ready as you plan to do what’s best for your dog. Only you will know when the time is right for this act of kindness.
I have 2 Miniature Pinschers. My husband and I consider them our 4-legged kids.
