pet memorial candle

Another great way to commemorate your beloved pets is to light a special pet memory candle. And there are so many to choose from!

Candles are a great idea, as they have long symbolized hope, and love. Some of these candles were made to honor the spirits of trusted pets that have passed from this earth, and to comfort the hearts of all those who loved them and still grieve for them. Lighting candles can provide a focus of solace and comfort for us, to support our hearts’ vigil for the animals we love and have lost.
My personal favorite is one that also helps pets in trouble, the paws animal rescue organization. But you can also get them made to look like the pet you have lost.

Freeze dried dog

When your pet dies, there are many decisions to make, such as what to do with his or her remains. It is one of those things you don’t want to be faced with, which is why it makes sense to look into it while your friend is still happy and healthy. One of the most popular methods in preserving pets is freeze drying.

Freeze-drying is a popular way to preserve a pet because it makes the deceased pet look very natural. As one website explained it to me: “It is a method of preservation which eliminates the decaying process inherent in the living tissues of plants and animals. Through a combination of very low temperature and vacuum application, all moisture is removed, leaving the tissues otherwise unaltered. Upon completion of the process, the pet is returned to room temperature, and remains indefinitely in the same condition thereafter, subject to the same care and treatment as other valued possessions.”

It is not a cheap option though! A lot of these freeze drying companies charge by the pound, so a large dog, or a horse, would set you make a lot of money. It also takes quite some time: from 12 weeks for a small dog or cat to over six months for a large dog. However, it will let you touch the deceased pet and it does look quite natural.

pet taxidermy

Quite a few people are so distraught when their pet passes that they will do anything to keep them near them, such as having them preserved. Is that a good idea though? One taxidermist responds with a resounding “NO!”

Not many taxidermists will work with pets. They will mount anything you catch in the wild, be it fish, or bears or deer. But when you want your dog or your cat preserved for all time, many a taxidermist will frown at you. It’s not that they’re lazy or mean, they just don’t think it’s a good idea! As George, a professional taxidermist for many years put it:
“I flatly refuse them, not because I don’t have the talent, but out of respect to the owner and the pet. Pets have personality just like people. Would you want us to do a family member. After all, an undertaker at their best, makes dead people look dead. We can’t put that personality back.”
This taxidermist won’t even consider preserving his own pets:
“I have 2 Pomeranians that are like family to me, and I have cut a lot of people short when they ask me if I intend to mount them when they die. NO! I plan to get another Pom and create new memories while honoring the old ones of my current pet.”
Of course, if you really want to preserve your pet, you can! Taxidermy is probably not the answer though.
Conventional taxidermy is impractical and quite costly. These days there are more specialized ways to preserve a pet, like freezedrying. Most start at around $400 and go up quickly as the weight of the animal increases. Some “mount” the animal in an alert alive position, but most pose the animal at rest, “asleep”.
For more on freeze drying read this article.

Stuffed dog in a case

If you’ve just lost your pet, I really don’t recommend that you watch this video. However, if you are interested in taxidermy or the various forms in which you can preserve your pet, this may be a very interesting video for you.

For more on pet taxidermy check out this article.

pet memorial marker

You want to remember your beloved pet. Why not put a bench or a stone marker in your garden or somewhere along your favorite walk? And to make it extra special, why not make your own?

When you’re grieving it can be good to channel that grief into something positive and maybe even creative. The whole family can get involved in projects such as mosaic bench making or, if you think a whole bench is a bit much, you can make a special mosaic tile. Then whenever you look at it you can remember not only your pet, but a joint project.

Doxie puppy picture

Of all the dogs I know, the one breed that’s sure to get me down on my knees, gushing, in an instant is the Doxie! Also known as wiener or sausage dog or, more traditionally, the Dachshund. I love everything about them and really hope to be getting my very own next year! Until then, here’s some pictures that’ll show you why the doxie is the dog for me!

Wiener puppies picture

pictures of doxie

sausage dog picture

I bet I’m not the only one who is really longing to have one of these babies! They are so very, very adorable. I wll try and get a rescue doxie, but as they are very popular, that may be difficult. We’ll see. I’ll just look at these pics until then!

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Larry the Lobster

Great news everybody, Larry the 70 year ld lobster will not be eaten! Between all the sadness, I like the occasional light note, a pet that didn’t die, an amazing rescue, owner and pet being reunited after years and years…
That Christian the Lion video always makes me sob like a baby!
Anyway, here was a bit of good news to cheer your day:

The owners of the New York restaurant where Larry has spent most of his life in a tank have decided to send him with retirement and let him enjoy the rest of his life in the wild!

This story began with a Bloomberg writer who wrote about the old lobster, saying that it was unsettling to eat something so old. The public responded and the management of restaurant Oceana was flooded with emails and phonecalls.

“A lot of people were very offended that we might indeed slaughter a 70-year-old lobster,” manager Paul McLaughlin tells PEOPLEPets.com. “We’re looking to set Larry free.”
Rock on!

big dog, little puppy

Anyone who´s ever loved a pet will recognize this: your little friend has been taken away and you´re at a loss what to do next. When people die, there´s this whole ritual. Everybody offers their condolences, there´s a burial, a grave, a place to visit. People reminisce, and usually you´re not the only one who´s heartbroken.

With a pet, you often have to bear your grief alone. Not many people may share your love for your cat, rabbit, parrot or dog. Remember, what matters is that they meant a lot to you! And you´re hurting!

Petsalute is a place where you can find tips on how to cope, and connect with others who have gone through or are going through the same thing. We know, because we’ve been there.

Ordinary Tabby

When I was a little girl, I used to play in our local park, which is lovely and surround an old castle. Us local kids played there  all the time, imagining all kinds of wonderful fairy tales.

There are lots of little nooks and hideaway holes and somewhere in a lovely little open spot there´s a memorial.

It´s a small head stone, thanking the “Bristly Haired Creature that came in from the dark one night” for all the years she was a trusted companion. It took me years to realize that the aformentioned creature was not some kind of fantasy monster, but the owner´s cat.

After I figured it out, at first I was slightly disappointed that it was all just for a cat, but over the years I started to love that memorial all the more, because it was simply for a stray kitty who wandered in through the open window one summer night, over a hundred years ago. I don´t own a castle, yet, but I´d like to give my pets as memorable a send off as well!