When I lost my first big girl, Sasha, my world was shattered. For 12 years, she was my best friend, my guardian, and my home. I remember the day after her passing; the stillness was almost too much to bear. The presence that had always been there was gone, and I didn’t know how to cope. 

Perhaps you’re here because you’ve recently lost your precious pet, or the time to say goodbye is near. My thoughts are with you because I understand how difficult it is to lose your furry companion. 

Whether they’ve been with you for what feels like a lifetime or only for a short while, every pet comes into your life for a reason. 

If you’re struggling with grief after the loss of a pet, you can overcome the sadness and the emptiness if you know where to start. I’m here to not only share my experiences but also to offer simple steps you can take to keep your pet’s memory alive and help you open your heart again. 

Taking the First Steps After Loss 

I’m going to say this: “If you need to cry, then cry; if you need to scream, then scream, but don’t become stuck in the loss.” 

What I want you to consider, instead of focusing on the pain and the loss, is how you can honor their memory. Rather than think of what was taken away or what could have been, think of how they made you smile on a hard day, helped you move forward, or taught you how to be more patient.

Trying to see the positive when you’re feeling hopeless might seem impossible, but it’s not about making those huge changes in this very moment. The phrase “one day at a time” rings true here. Just get through today and worry about tomorrow when tomorrow comes. A mistake that many people make is putting pressure on themselves to overcome their grief. In some cases, this is made worse by friends and family who just want you to move on or by concealing your feelings because you don’t think that anyone will understand. 

Grief after the loss of a pet takes time to work through, and you should never feel pressured to put on a brave face. This doesn’t mean curling up and shutting the world out. It means that in those moments of sadness, you allow yourself to experience those emotions and then let them go. It’s okay to be sad, angry, and even question why this happened, but ultimately, you must work towards acceptance. Only then can you heal your heart and open the door to your next pet.

Simple Ways to Cherish Your Pet’s Memory 

If you’re overwhelmed by your pet’s passing, talk to someone you trust about it. Loss is one of the hardest life events to deal with, but it’s a reality that we all face. There are ways of finding happiness and peace again; I can guarantee it based on my own losses.

To honor your pet, consider these simple ways of commemorating them.

Burial or Cremation

When your pet passes, depending on whether it’s happened at home or at the vet, you’ll have the option of burial or cremation. I had all 3 dogs cremated, and despite it being quite expensive, their ashes arrived in a beautiful urn with a heartfelt message that brought me comfort. Because of the size of my dogs, I don’t think I could’ve managed a garden burial, making cremation more practical, and honestly, less traumatic.

Should you bury your feline or canine companion at home, consider planting a pretty flower bush over the site. Geraniums offer beautiful colors, and they’re quite hardy. You can also plant a small tree in their memory. Alternatively, you can paint their name on a flat stone and place it on the area.

Potted Plants

If you want to do something special with their ashes, you can purchase a beautiful pot, fill it with soil, add the ashes, and then plant something like a rose in it. I found a rose with the name “missing you” that I planted in memory of Blueberry. 

Lockets

Some time after Sasha’s passing, I bought a heart-shaped locket with her name engraved on the back. You can also find lockets for ashes or small cremation urns on eBay or Amazon. These keepsakes and necklaces allow you to store a tiny amount of ashes inside the actual locket. 

Prints and Portraits

Don’t avoid your pet’s memory by hiding their pictures. Instead, place one of your favorite photographs of them on display. You can add a photo into a gorgeous frame, print the image onto a canvas, or have a custom portrait created to hang on your wall. There are several artists or small businesses that produce realistic artwork of your pet on a canvas or a wood block. You can add their name and a custom background, making for a treasured piece.

New Ventures – Take a Leap of Faith

If you want to share special memories or experiences, why not start a social media page in honor of your fur friend? It provides a platform for sharing pictures and conversing with others who may be going through a similar situation. You can also join pet loss forums where people discuss their journeys and memories.

Another way to honor their memory is to start a business venture that you may have delayed or feared pursuing. You could name the business or a product after your pet. There’s no better time than the present to turn your ideas into a reality to achieve every success. 

But if a new business isn’t something you’re thinking about, how about starting a charitable drive? Whether online or in your local neighborhood, you can raise food, blanket, or monetary donations for pets in need. You can name the campaign after your pet. Some people prefer physical activity to express themselves and train for competitive events, like marathons, in their pet’s memory.

Time to Open Your Heart Again – Bringing a New Pet Home 

After Sasha’s passing, I swore that was it. No more costs on vet visits, medication, or special food. No more heartache. But because I absolutely loved sharing my life with my dog, that’s when Blueberry came into my life. And it wasn’t smooth sailing at first. I made many unfair comparisons because I expected my new addition to fit into my routine the way Sasha did. Little did I know, Blueberry was the complete opposite of Sasha in personality, and I eventually came to terms with it. 

There’s no specific timeline as to when you’ll be ready to bring another pet into your life. For some, the emptiness is too difficult to cope with, and introducing a new pet brings much-needed solace. For others, like me, it takes a few months before you’re ready to adopt or have a new puppy or kitten running about. 

“This life is temporary.” It’s something I heard a few months ago that really resonated with me. We’re blessed to spend the short time we have with our beautiful pets, who bring so much joy into our lives. Cherish the time you have with them, and when you’re ready, you can wholeheartedly accept another animal companion into your home. 

Learning to Accept Your New Pet

And remember, you cannot expect your new pet to have similar traits or behaviors to your previous one. You must be open to a new personality and, whether young or old, have the patience to teach them your rules and routines.  

Whether it takes a few weeks or a year, don’t put pressure on yourself to open your heart again. That also doesn’t mean forgetting your previous pet. Those memories are locked away, and, you know, they’ll always have a special place.

I’ll leave you with a message of comfort: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18