Losing a pet is never easy as they are a part of the family and a beloved best friend. Departed pets will always have a special place in their owners’ hearts. One good way to remember them at the same time bring some closure to their passing is through pet memorials.
How do you honour a deceased pet?
If you are planning to commemorate your departed pet, you may be thinking: ‘What can I do in memory of my dog? How can I remember my pet?’
There are many ways to pay tribute and honour the memory of your furry friend who has crossed the rainbow bridge. Here are a few types of pet memorials that you might want to check out:
Pet Memorial Idea #1: Keep a Memorial Frame and Box.
Do you want to collect and place memorable belongings of your departed pet somewhere special? Putting them inside a memorial frame or a box is a great way to keep these items safe. You can place your favourite pictures of your pet, collar, or toys inside to remember him by.
Pet Memorial Idea #2: Get a Stuff Animal Lookalike of Your Pet.
Some companies offer a wonderful service of recreating stuffed animal versions of pets. To do this, they will ask for a picture of your pet, which they will use as a guide in creating the stuffed toy. In the process, they will include the unique characteristics of your pet.
Does your cat have a heart-shaped spot on her paw? Don’t be surprised if you find this on her teddy bear replica!
Pet Memorial Idea #3: Get a Miniature or Life-Size Felt Version of Your Pet.
Another unique way to immortalise your departed pet is by hiring an artist to sculpt a small or life-size replica of him in felt. Depending on the artist, they may use fancier fibres such as silk and cashmere aside from wool.
If you want to make it even more personalised, you may ask the artist to incorporate some of your pet’s hair in the felt version of him.
Pet Memorial Idea #4: Donate to or Volunteer at Your Local Animal Shelter.
Contributing time or money to an animal shelter or rescue organisation in your pet’s name is a wonderful way to memorialise him. Not only does it commemorate his life with you, but you can also help other pets in the process.
Pet Memorial Idea #5: Get a Memorial Plaque or a Pet Memorial Stone.
One of the simplest ways to honour your beloved departed pet is by acquiring a memorial photo plaque or a pet memorial stone.
Some companies offer waterproof versions of these keepsakes. This way, you have a choice to place it as a beautiful addition inside your home or in your garden where your pet’s favourite spot used to be.
Pet Memorial Idea #6: Keep a Paw Print Memento.
Various kinds of paw prints keepsakes are offered in the market. They can be in the form of bronze casts and pendants. There are also printed pet paws that can be placed inside a frame.
You can even make a paw print memento yourself with the help of the vet. All you need is to place your pet’s paw on wet clay and then allow it to set.
Pet Memorial Idea #7: Hold a Pet Memorial Service.
Having a cat or dog memorial ceremony is another great way to pay tribute to your departed pet. It can be held in one of his favourite places.
Pet Memorial Idea #8: Fund a Scholarship in the Name of Your Pet.
Keep your departed pet close to your heart by helping out others in need. Funding scholarships aid enormously in making aspiring vets achieve their dreams. Countless veterinary students were able to finish their studies with pet memorial gifts from many pet owners.
Pet Memorial Idea #9: Turn Your Precious Pet’s Ashes into Diamonds.
By using carbon that’s heated to extremely high temperatures, your pet’s ashes can be made into diamonds. You will be given the option to select its colour, size, and cut. Most owners choose to have their pet’s diamonds placed lovingly inside a piece of jewellery such as a ring or necklace.
Pet Memorial Idea #10: Think About Cloning Your Pet.
Some pet owners take a step further when paying tribute to their deceased pets. They chose to get their pet cloned. It involves implanting the pet’s DNA into an egg cell of a surrogate animal parent.
Pet owners choose pet memorials to help them cope with the heartache of losing a beloved pet. They are also sentimental symbols that celebrate the wonderful and happy life that your pet has shared with you.
So allow yourself to grieve as well as be thankful for having met a four-legged friend that brought sunshine and laughter to your life.
Photo Credit: washingtonian
Can a pet be buried with a human?
Pet burials are usually done through pet cremation or traditionally burying it in a pet cemetery. However, it became more sentimental as pet owners are given the opportunity to decide if they want to spend their eternal rest beside their beloved pets.
Several burial grounds that welcome both the resting souls of pets and humans can be found in the UK. Penwith Woodland Burial Place and Rose Farm in Chyanhal nearby Penzance are well-known burial places where pet owners are given an option to be laid to rest alongside their deceased pets.
The extent of pets recognised in the pet and human burial ground is not only limited to deceased canines and felines. Bearded dragons, rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, and even horses are accepted.
This type of pet burial has traversed the norm of traditional local pet cemeteries. It was met with raised brows by many because of its peculiarity. Even its oddity did not escape the Environment Agency, which grants a licence to ecological human and pet burial grounds.
‘It seems like a new but rather strange trend—people not wanting to be separated from their pets in death, that is,’ a spokesman from the Environment Agency said.
The years of warm companionship that pets and pet owners share go beyond mere animal and human bond. Thus, despite the burial of the two together is considered an oddity to some, it is to be respected because the love shared between a pet and its owner may go deep beyond understanding.
