Watching your senior pet age or losing a beloved pet to illness or an accident is never easy. John and I lost Peter, Luna, Jamie, and Guinness over the course of 4 years. Each one of them has left an incredibly deep void in our hearts.
Even if your pet has already crossed the rainbow bridge, you can still explore new ways to carry them in your heart. Creating new memories during your pet’s senior years or finding ways to celebrate the memory of a pet who has passed-on can help you on your own healing journey.
How you honor your pet is up to you and will help make sure their life story continues on. That’s how I felt when Peter passed. Since he was the first one of our pack to cross the rainbow bridge, I wanted to create a beautiful memory necklace that I could wear with a lock of his fur inside. That way I could feel him close to me, even though he was no longer with me. That is how I chose to honor him.
If you’re searching for a way to celebrate your pet’s life, I’d like to share these 5 ways that can help you carry them in your heart.
1. Hire a photographer for a portrait
A professional pet photographer is an expert at capturing your pet’s personality. That’s what we do here at Muttography® & Co. Our goal is to capture your pet’s personality through soulful images that will last a lifetime. We’ve been photographing pets for close to 14 years, and sadly, many of our past clients have had to deal with their own loss in that time. It’s always an honor when our clients reach out to tell us how meaningful the photos of their beloved pet are to them.
2. Create a custom piece of wall art
You can make or hire someone to make you a piece of art that celebrates your pet’s life. One of my favorite artists, Ron Krajewski, paints beautiful watercolor portraits of pets. He will paint a custom portrait, or you can choose a breed from his collection of art prints.
3. Donate a memorial brick, bench, or financial donation to a shelter near you
Organizations like animal shelters depend on these types of donations. Check with your local shelter to see if they have a memorial program like a brick patio, visiting room furniture, etc. What an amazing way to honor your pet! The personalized patio brick or bench will serve as a physical legacy for your pet.
4. Celebrate their birthday, gotcha day or the anniversary date of their passing.
Take the day off work. Go for a hike in a place you shared together. Invite an animal-loving friend to share the day. Think about the special days of the year and plan remembrance celebrations ahead of time so you can look forward to them. Our Jamie’s birthday fell on St. Patrick’s Day, so we always celebrated with a nice long walk, and lots of treats. We still celebrate her, but now we do with our new pack, Hannah and Wyatt. We tell them that these treats are special because they’re from their big sister, Jamie.
5. Keep a lock of their hair or fur
You’re not crazy if you do. It’s a tactile way to remember what they felt like. Some creators can use the hair or fur to make jewelry, like I did with Peter’s fur, or other memorial items. My mom bought me these beautiful little handcrafted boxes to keep a lock of each of my pet’s fur in after they passed. It brings me so much comfort when I open the boxes and see a real piece of them in there.
Watching your pet age or dealing with the grief following a pet’s death can be heartbreaking and difficult. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to seek out professional support if that feels right for you.
#petloss #petlosssupport #petmemorial #griefandloss #petgrief #healing #petlosshurts #pawprintsonmyheart #petbereavement #losingapet