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.

How Do I Choose the Right Size Urn for My Pet?

How Do I Choose the Right Size Urn for My Pet?

When you first start looking at pet urns for ashes, it is easy to focus on color, shape, and style. Perhaps you see one that feels exactly like your dog’s...

Can I Put Some Ashes in Jewelry and Use the Rest in an Urn or Scattering?

Can I Put Some Ashes in Jewelry and Use the Rest in an Urn or Scattering?

When it comes to honoring your pet, there are many ways to keep their memory close. You may want a pet urn for ashes at home as a comforting presence,...

What Is the Difference Between an Urn, a Keepsake Urn, and Cremation Jewelry?

What Is the Difference Between an Urn, a Keepsake Urn, and Cremation Jewelry?

When you begin exploring ways to remember a pet after cremation, you quickly encounter terms like pet urns, keepsake urns, and cremation jewelry. At first glance, they all seem like...

Pet Cremation & Memorial FAQ

Pet Cremation & Memorial FAQ

My pet is getting older and declining. What should I be thinking about now? Caring for a pet means being prepared for every stage of their life, including the eventual...

Helping Seniors Cope With Pet Loss: Grief, Loneliness, and Everyday Support

Helping Seniors Cope With Pet Loss: Grief, Loneliness, and Everyday Support

When a senior loses a beloved pet, the impact goes far beyond simple sadness. For many older adults, a pet is more than a companion, it is a source of...

Scattering Pet Ashes: Legal Guidelines, Meaningful Locations, and Ceremony Ideas

Scattering Pet Ashes: Legal Guidelines, Meaningful Locations, and Ceremony Ideas

Finding yourself with a small container of cremated pet ashes can feel both surreal and heavy with emotion. Many pet owners want to honor their companion in a way that...

How to Plan a Pet Funeral or Memorial: Ceremonies, Costs, and Comforting Rituals

How to Plan a Pet Funeral or Memorial: Ceremonies, Costs, and Comforting Rituals

In many homes, pets are family, and when a dog, cat, or other companion passes away, the idea of simply dropping them off at a clinic without a chance to...

The Ethics of Cloning Your Deceased Pet

The Ethics of Cloning Your Deceased Pet

When a beloved pet dies, grief can make almost anything that promises “one more chance” feel tempting. News stories about celebrities cloning their dogs, or companies offering to recreate a...

Explaining Pet Death to Children Without Saying “They Went to Sleep”

Explaining Pet Death to Children Without Saying “They Went to Sleep”

For many families, a pet’s death is the first time a child comes face to face with loss. You are grieving yourself, making decisions about cremation, memorials, and what to...

How to Choose a Pet Urn or Memorial: A Simple Guide When You’re Grieving

How to Choose a Pet Urn or Memorial: A Simple Guide When You’re Grieving

Choosing a pet urn or memorial can feel both impossibly small and overwhelmingly huge at the same time. It is “just” an object, and yet it may become the way...

When Pet Grief Feels Overwhelming: Mental Health Insights and When to Get Extra Help

When Pet Grief Feels Overwhelming: Mental Health Insights and When to Get Extra Help

If you are reading this because you feel like you are falling apart after losing a pet, I want to say this plainly: nothing about your reaction is “too much.”...

Stages of Grief After Losing a Pet: What They Really Feel Like and How to Cope

Stages of Grief After Losing a Pet: What They Really Feel Like and How to Cope

If you are reading about the stages of grief after losing a pet, it likely means something in your world has shifted in a way you never expected. The house...

Gardening for Grief: Planting a Memorial Tree or Flower Bed

Gardening for Grief: Planting a Memorial Tree or Flower Bed

When someone you love dies, whether it’s a person or a cherished pet, the world around you can feel unnervingly empty. The house may seem quieter, routines feel hollow, and...

Wearing Pet Ashes vs Keeping Them at Home: How to Decide What Feels Right

Wearing Pet Ashes vs Keeping Them at Home: How to Decide What Feels Right

When a pet dies, the world gets strangely quiet. The jingle of a collar, the thump on the stairs, the weight at the end of the bed — all of...

Pet Loss for People With Disabilities: Unique Needs and Support

Pet Loss for People With Disabilities: Unique Needs and Support

For many people living with disabilities, a pet is far more than “just” a companion. A dog may steady a wheelchair or guide you safely across a busy street. A...

The Neurology of Attachment: Why Your Brain Panics When Your Pet Is Gone

The Neurology of Attachment: Why Your Brain Panics When Your Pet Is Gone

On an ordinary day, your brain quietly expects certain things: the click of claws on the floor, the weight of a body at your feet, the way your cat’s tail...