Funeral Services for Pets

Pet owners often consider their pets as members of their family. Because of the close bonds people feel for their pets, the loss of a pet can impact a family profoundly. Holding a pet funeral, whether formal or informal, allows the owners of the animal the opportunity to honor the memory of their pet and to grieve their loss.

  1. Locations

    • You can hold the funeral for a pet in a variety of places. Choose the location that best suits the memory of your animal and offers you comfort. The privacy of your own home is a relaxed and comfortable environment in which you can say goodbye to the pet. For a more formal memorial ceremony, hold the service at a local pet cemetery or even a funeral home. You could also gather at your pet's favorite location, such as a dog park, a hiking trail or a lake to hold the service.

    Types of Burials

    • You can lay your pet to rest in a variety of ways, much as we choose between different options for a human burial. You can bury your pet in a pet cemetery or even in your backyard, which allows you to have a specific location to go to honor his memory. You can also have the animal cremated and then store the ashes in an urn in a special location in your home. You could also sprinkle his ashes in your yard, in the forest or in the ocean. Choose a meaningful location for you and your pet to scatter his ashes.

    The Memorial Service

    • The memorial service is a time for you to remember the good times and happy memories with your pet. Prepare a photo slide show of you and your pet, complete with "baby" pictures. Read a prayer that is representative of the love you and your pet shared and your hopes for her to rest in peace. Write an anecdote about a humorous or happy memory and read that during the service. You could also simply talk about what your pet meant to you and thank her for the joy she brought into your life. Have other family members and friends talk about their favorite memories of the pet.

    Remembering

    • Before you lay the animal to rest, press its paw into ink and place the paw-print on a memorial card or even on the grave marker or stone you chose to mark his burial spot. You could have the animal's photo imprinted on a grave marker or stone, which will allow you to clearly picture him when you visit his grave. Print his picture on a memorial card and keep it on your dresser or in your wallet. This allows you to carry him with you always.