Memory Lane: Three Easy and Creative Ways to Honor a Pet that has Passed Away

Losing a pet is a painful and emotional experience. When you are ready, memorializing your lost four-legged friend is a great way to keep their memory alive. Here’s a list of our three favorite ways to honor your pet that has crossed the rainbow bridge.

1. Pet Tag Bracelet

Put your creative skills to work and make yourself a bracelet or necklace with your pet’s tag as the focal point. Para chord is a super strong, easy to weave material that comes in every color imaginable.  Using one long piece of para chord to make a memorial bracelet can be more than just fashionable. The strength of para chord makes it a unique material that is an excellent survival tool. In an emergency situation, you could unravel your bracelet and use the chord to make a quick slip collar/leash, fix a shoelace, make yourself a belt, and tie a tourniquet etc. 

Weaving and braiding are also great activities to reduce stress and anxiety. Taking some time to make yourself or a friend who has lost a pet a para chord tag bracelet is a fun, easy activity to honor a lost pet, de-stress and be ready for an emergency.

2. Plant a Tree

If you choose to bury your pet instead of cremate them, consider picking a biodegradable casket and choosing a flowering tree or perennial plant to plant on their grave. Every spring, blooming flowers will remind you of your beloved lost pet, add beauty to your yard and help absorb excess carbon dioxide in the air. Fun fact: did you know that one large tree can supply enough oxygen for four people to breathe for a full 24 hours?

3. Paint a Portrait

Painting is a proven stress reliever and a portrait of your pet is a great way to keep their memory alive. If you’re a natural artist, painting a pet portrait will be easy for you. If art isn’t your strong suit, consider a great written tutorial like this one or video tutorials for painting fur like this one. If you’d rather have a professional paint your pet, there are tons of options! A quick Google or Etsy search will bring up many talented artists who can bring a photo of your pet to life on canvas.

However you choose to keep the memory of your pet alive, remember that having loved and lost is better than having never loved at all. Dogs are our greatest companions. They give endless amounts of love, know how to comfort us in times of need and show us thanks every day. After the loss of a dog, when you are ready to open your heart and your home to a new furry friend, visit How I Met My Dog and be custom matched with your next canine soul mate.