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.

Taxidermy and Preservation: Is It Creepy or Comforting?

Taxidermy and Preservation: Is It Creepy or Comforting?

When a pet dies, most families today are offered cremation almost by default. You may be handed a brochure about pet cremation urns, see options for pet urns for ashes,...

Digital Legacies: Creating a Virtual Memorial for Your Pet

Digital Legacies: Creating a Virtual Memorial for Your Pet

When a pet dies, the quiet moments often feel the loudest. You may catch yourself reaching for your phone to show a favorite video, only to remember that the dog...

The First Christmas Without Them: Surviving the Holidays

The First Christmas Without Them: Surviving the Holidays

The first Christmas after a pet dies has a way of sneaking up on you. One moment you are scrolling past holiday sales and recipe ideas; the next, you see...

Losing a Horse: The Grief of Losing a Partner, Not Just an Animal

Losing a Horse: The Grief of Losing a Partner, Not Just an Animal

When a horse dies, the loss rarely fits into simple words. People may say, “I’m sorry about your horse,” as if they are offering condolences for a distant animal kept...

Losing a Reptile or Exotic Pet: When People Don’t Understand Your Grief

Losing a Reptile or Exotic Pet: When People Don’t Understand Your Grief

When most people picture pet loss, they think of dogs and cats. They imagine leashes and litter boxes, wagging tails, and purring bodies. What they often don’t picture is the...

Grieving the Loss of a Dog: Why Dog Bonds Run So Deep

Grieving the Loss of a Dog: Why Dog Bonds Run So Deep

There are some losses that hit so hard they seem to rearrange the shape of your life. Losing a dog is often one of them. You may have known it...

Why Some Pets Feel Like Soulmates: Understanding Deep Attachments in Pet Loss

Why Some Pets Feel Like Soulmates: Understanding Deep Attachments in Pet Loss

Some pets come and go through our lives gently, leaving warm memories and quiet stories. And then there are pets who feel like something entirely different—something harder to put into...

When Your Pet Was Your Routine: Rebuilding Daily Life After a Loss

When Your Pet Was Your Routine: Rebuilding Daily Life After a Loss

There are some losses that do not only break your heart; they break your days. When a pet dies, you are not just grieving a companion, you are grieving a...

Missed Signs: Forgiving Yourself for Not Catching the Illness Sooner

Missed Signs: Forgiving Yourself for Not Catching the Illness Sooner

The moment you realize there were “signs” is often not at the vet’s office or in the middle of the emergency. It is days or weeks later, when the house...

When One Person Took Care of the Pet More: Uneven Grief Levels in a Household

When One Person Took Care of the Pet More: Uneven Grief Levels in a Household

In many homes, a pet belongs to everyone in theory, but in daily life, there is often one person whose world is most deeply wrapped around that animal. It’s the...

Staying in the Room: Why Your Presence Matters During the Final Injection

Staying in the Room: Why Your Presence Matters During the Final Injection

When you schedule a euthanasia appointment, it can feel like your whole world shrinks down to one impossible question: Will I stay in the room for the final injection, or...

Grieving Exotic Pets: Birds, Rabbits, Reptiles, and More

Grieving Exotic Pets: Birds, Rabbits, Reptiles, and More

When people talk about pet loss, the conversation almost always centers on dogs and cats. But maybe the silence in your home comes from an empty birdcage, a terrarium with...

Disenfranchised Grief: When Your Loss Isn’t Recognized or Taken Seriously

Disenfranchised Grief: When Your Loss Isn’t Recognized or Taken Seriously

When you are grieving a loss that no one else seems to see, the world can feel strangely split in two. On the surface, you go to work, run errands,...

Euthanasia vs. Natural Death: Understanding Your Options

Euthanasia vs. Natural Death: Understanding Your Options

When a beloved dog or cat is nearing the end of life, many families find themselves facing a question they never wanted to ask: “Should we choose euthanasia, or wait...

How Much Does Pet Cremation Cost? Price Ranges, Options, and Ways to Save

How Much Does Pet Cremation Cost? Price Ranges, Options, and Ways to Save

When a pet dies, you are grieving and doing math at the same time. It feels cruel to compare prices while your heart is breaking, and many people quietly worry...

When Kids Blame Themselves After a Pet Dies: How to Reassure and Support Them

When Kids Blame Themselves After a Pet Dies: How to Reassure and Support Them

The loss of a family pet touches every member of the household, but children often experience a unique layer of worry they can’t always express. You might notice it in...