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Dealing with the Loss of a Pet
These days many pets are considered valuable members of the family. This can make the loss of a pet all the more difficult. Gestures that celebrate the bond you and your pet had can be a comfort when it comes to saying goodbye to your trusted playmate and loyal friend.
In honor of “National Pet Memorial Day” on September 9, here are some ways in which you can pay your last respects and honor your pet’s memory.
1. Hold a Memorial Service
Gathering friends and family who knew your pet and laying him to rest is a wonderful way to say goodbye. Everyone can share stories from your pet’s life and mourn the loss together. A memorial service can be a great reminder that you’re not going through this pain alone.
2. Create a Memorial Spot
Create a spot — such as a gravestone or a living memorial like a plant or tree — where you can visit whenever you miss your pet.
3. Visit Online Memorials
Sometimes friends and family members just can’t grasp what you’re feeling after the loss of your pet. If they have never lost one of their own this may be the case. If that’s true, there are many online pet bereavement sites where fellow pet owners have come together to remember their lost pets and comfort one another.
4. Create a Scrapbook
Pretty much every parent makes a baby book for their child right? Create one for your pet so you always have something to look back on when you’re remembering him.
5. Keep a Symbol
Keep your pet’s favorite toy or his collar as a symbol of remembrance.
6. Donate
A way to pass on the legacy of your pet is to donate to a good cause in your pet’s name. Be it your local Humane Society, shelter, or rescue, you’ll be preserving your pet’s memory and helping other would-be pets at the same time.
7. Volunteer
If you rescued your pet from a local animal shelter, rescue, or Humane Society, why not volunteer there after your pet passes on? It was thanks to volunteers who initially rescued your pet and took care of him that he and you got all that time to spend together anyhow. Think of it as passing on the favor.
8. Adopt Again
When the time is right and you feel ready, consider adopting again. Remember how happy your life with your pet was. Don’t you think he would want to pass on the chance he was given to another pet in need?
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