Pet Epitaphs

I was 47 years old when I lost my first pet, his name was Dally. He was a beautiful, gentle Dalmatian who lived to be almost 11. When stricken with cancer and I could no longer make him comfortable I knew it was time to say goodbye. The ride to the vet is still some of the worst few minutes of my 58 years. The sadness I felt lingered for weeks and I was taken aback by how much my heart would ache. It was this experience that made me understand the loss people feel and how much emotion there is when writing a pet epitaph for their beloved companions. As I write this I have a customer who has taken weeks trying to decide what to write for her cat who lived with her for more than 20 years.

Pet epitaphs are certainly nothing new whether scratched on a simple stone or carved into a large granite tombstone, the words are truly heartfelt and the feelings of loss run deep. While all pet epitaphs are really very personal, there are a few that have become quite popular as they do sum up the love the family had for their pet and at the same time are short and sweet. Here are a few examples:

Here are a few examples:

If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever.

Faithful, loyal loving companion.

Gone but never forgotten.

You left paw prints on our hearts.

Although we are apart, your spirit lives on in my heart.

Forever in our hearts.

More Pet Epitaph ideas

Some of the more interesting pet epitaphs I have come across are on the grave markers in our pet cemeteries. It was only later in life that I even became aware such places existed. One of the oldest and largest of these is in Hartsdale NY. It is thought to have around 80,000 occupants and includes beloved pets of some of the rich and famous such as George Raft and Mariah Carey. In years gone by apparently, there have been some rather elaborate funerals held there. Here is a great link that talks about Hartsdale: http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/epitaphs-of-hartsdale-pet-cemetery

Most of our customers do keep their sayings short and sweet, the pets name, date of birth and death if known, then maybe a nickname they always called their pet. However some grieving owners really go all out spilling their feelings in rather lengthy paragraphs about their lost companion. We do our best to accommodate what they want to say but often need to communicate to them that the pet epitaph they have written simply will not fit. The best choice for a longer epitaph is the granite markers where we can actually laser engrave quite a few words and even a photo, but this choice can run more in cost so it is not affordable to all.