Ways to remember a pet who has died

After a pet dies, many people want to do something. Not to move on, but to keep a little of their pet close. There is no right way to do this, and nothing here needs to happen soon. Take what feels right, leave the rest, and come back whenever you like.

A memorial page

A memorial page is a place online for your pet's story and photos. It can hold the things you don't want to forget: how you met, the silly habits, the favorite spot to nap. You can share it with the people who knew your pet, and they can leave a note of their own.

Some people like reading the notes on a quiet evening, months later.

A photo box

Gather the photos you have of your pet. Look on your phone, in old albums, and on the phones of friends and family. Ask people to send you theirs. You may find pictures you have never seen.

Print a few favorites and keep them in a box. A shoe box is fine. Add anything else that matters: a vet tag, a note from a friend, a drawing a child made. The box can sit on a shelf until you want to open it.

Planting something

A plant grows and changes, which can feel right for someone who was so alive. Some people plant a tree or a shrub in the garden. Others keep a small plant in a pot by the window where their pet liked to sit.

Choose something you will enjoy looking after. Each time it flowers, it can be a small reminder.

A paw print or a collar kept somewhere special

Some of the most precious keepsakes are the simplest. A paw print, if your vet or crematory made one. The collar, a favorite toy, or the tag with your pet's name.

Find them a special place. A shelf, a drawer, a frame on the wall, a hook by the door where the leash used to hang. Some people aren't ready to put these things away, and that's fine too.

A letter

Write a letter to your pet. Say thank you. Say what you wish you had said. Say what you miss. You don't have to share it with anyone, and it doesn't have to be neat.

Some people write one letter and keep it. Others write again on a birthday or an anniversary.

A donation or volunteering at a shelter

Many people want their pet's life to help another animal. You could give a small donation to a local shelter or rescue in your pet's name. Or you could give your time instead: walking dogs, socializing cats, or helping at an adoption day.

If you aren't ready to be around other animals yet, that's all right. This idea will still be here later.

A small yearly ritual

Pick a day that matters. Your pet's birthday, the day you brought your pet home, or the day your pet died. On that day, do one small thing.

Take the walk you used to take together. Visit a place your pet loved. Light a candle. Look through the photo box. A ritual doesn't need to be big. It only needs to be yours.

A story told to someone new

Tell your pet's story to someone who never met your pet. A new friend, a grandchild, a coworker. Telling it out loud keeps the details sharp, and it lets your pet be known by someone new.

If there are children in the family, the stories can be passed on to them, so your pet becomes part of the family's history.

A framed photo

Choose one photo that feels most like your pet and put it in a frame. Hang it where you will see it often, like the hallway or the kitchen. Some people choose a picture from the early days. Others pick one from the last good year.

It can be hard to look at, at first. Over time, many people find it becomes a comfort.

A candle on a hard day

Some days are harder than others. The first time you come home to a quiet house. A holiday. A day when something small reminds you all at once.

On those days, light a candle. Sit with it for a few minutes. Think about your pet, or don't think about anything at all. When you're ready, blow it out and go on with your day.

Keeping your pet close, your way

There is no list you have to finish. Doing one of these things is enough. Doing none of them is fine too. Love doesn't need a keepsake to last. The ideas here are only ways to give it somewhere to go.