The Funeral.com Journal

Resources to help you create tributes as unique as the people (and pets) you love. Learn how engraving, photos, colors, and symbols add meaning; discover scattering rituals and at-home memorial ideas. We focus on the details that matter—because small choices can carry a lifetime of comfort.

Planning a Shared Memorial with Multiple Pets: Group Graves, Urns, and Markers

Planning a Shared Memorial with Multiple Pets: Group Graves, Urns, and Markers

If you’ve loved more than one pet, you already know this quiet truth: grief doesn’t replace itself. It layers. A dog who grew up with your kids. A cat who...

Burying an Urn with a Dog or Cat: How to Safely Place Ashes in a Pet Grave

Burying an Urn with a Dog or Cat: How to Safely Place Ashes in a Pet Grave

For many families, a pet’s grave is not just a place in the yard or a corner of a pet cemetery. It’s a small geography of love. It’s where you...

Pet Wakes and Viewings: Should You See Your Pet One Last Time Before Cremation?

Pet Wakes and Viewings: Should You See Your Pet One Last Time Before Cremation?

The moment you realize you may never see your pet again is rarely a single moment. It’s a series of small shocks: the leash still hanging by the door, the...

How Pet Wakes and Human Wakes Are Similar—and Different

How Pet Wakes and Human Wakes Are Similar—and Different

When someone we love dies, our brains do two things at once: they grieve, and they reach for structure. A wake—whether it’s called a visitation, a gathering, a remembrance, or...

Online Support for Pet Loss: Forums, Groups, and How to Find a Safe, Caring Space

Online Support for Pet Loss: Forums, Groups, and How to Find a Safe, Caring Space

In the first days after a pet dies, the world can feel strangely loud and strangely quiet at the same time. Loud because life keeps moving—notifications, errands, people talking about...

When a Pet Dies Suddenly: Shock, Trauma, and How to Begin Healing

When a Pet Dies Suddenly: Shock, Trauma, and How to Begin Healing

There are losses we can imagine, and then there are the ones that split a day in two: before and after. When a pet dies suddenly—an accident at the curb,...

Grieving the Loss of a Service Dog or Therapy Animal: When Your Helper Was Also Family

Grieving the Loss of a Service Dog or Therapy Animal: When Your Helper Was Also Family

There are losses that rearrange your heart, and then there are losses that rearrange your whole life. When a service dog or therapy animal dies, grief doesn’t just show up...

Grieving the Loss of a Dog After Euthanasia: Making Peace With a Loving Choice

Grieving the Loss of a Dog After Euthanasia: Making Peace With a Loving Choice

The house can feel impossibly quiet after euthanasia. Even if you knew it was coming, even if you’d been carrying the worry for weeks, the moment afterward can feel like...

How to Compliment a Nice Memorial for Loss of Pet?

How to Compliment a Nice Memorial for Loss of Pet?

A thoughtfully created pet memorial reflects deep love, cherished memories, and the unique bond shared between a pet and their family. When someone invests time and care into honoring their...

Can’t Stop Replaying The Last Day? Grief Rumination After Pet Loss And How To Break The Loop

Can’t Stop Replaying The Last Day? Grief Rumination After Pet Loss And How To Break The Loop

If you feel trapped in a mental replay, replaying the last day of your pet like a scene your brain insists on revisiting, you’re not alone, and you’re not broken....

When Your Pet Dies: What To Do Next (At Home Or At The Vet)

When Your Pet Dies: What To Do Next (At Home Or At The Vet)

There’s a particular kind of silence that follows a pet’s last breath. Even in a noisy house, everything can feel suddenly paused, like the world expects you to know exactly...

Sudden Pet Loss & Panic: Grounding Exercises For Shock, Anxiety & The First Week

Sudden Pet Loss & Panic: Grounding Exercises For Shock, Anxiety & The First Week

There’s a profound emotional shock that accompanies the sudden loss of a beloved pet. One moment, life feels ordinary, refilling a bowl, hearing familiar paws on the floor, and the...

Pet Loss After Cancer: Anticipatory Grief, Caregiver Exhaustion, And Healing After A Long Illness

Pet Loss After Cancer: Anticipatory Grief, Caregiver Exhaustion, And Healing After A Long Illness

Grief following a pet’s long battle with cancer is often complex and layered, beginning quietly long before their passing. It can emerge during the weeks or months when life slowly...

Best Children’s Books About Pet Death: 20 Picks By Age And Discussion Questions For Families

Best Children’s Books About Pet Death: 20 Picks By Age And Discussion Questions For Families

If your child has lost a pet, you are often navigating two layers of grief at the same time: your own sorrow, and the heartbreak of watching someone you love...

Losing an Emotional Support Animal (ESA): The Double Hit to Mental Health

Losing an Emotional Support Animal (ESA): The Double Hit to Mental Health

The first thing many people notice after an Emotional Support Animal dies isn’t just the silence—it’s the missing rhythm. The familiar nudge at the edge of the bed. The soft...

If Your Pet Dies At Home: What To Do Next (Storage, Timing, Transport & Who To Call)

If Your Pet Dies At Home: What To Do Next (Storage, Timing, Transport & Who To Call)

When a pet dies at home, the experience can feel surreal. Grief, shock, and an overwhelming sense of responsibility often arrive all at once. In these first moments, it’s important...