Contributed by Info Guru Paul Seaburn

Pets are special beings in our lives and the loss of one, big or small, is a difficult time for all members of its family.

The grief is eased when you memorialize your pet soon after their passing. The hole in your heart and home that they leave can be best be filled with memories. These ways to remember your pet will help to keep them in your mind and heart.

10. Memorial Urn

If you have your pet cremated, keep the ashes in an urn that memorializes your pet with an engraved name or picture. Place the urn in a spot where you can see it or, better yet, in a place that was special to your pet.

9. Plant a tree

Many pets spend time in and around a wonderful shady tree so a tree or bush planted in their honor can be an appropriate memorial. Caring for the tree or plant as it grows will remind you of caring for your pet as they grew. The foot of a new tree is a wonderful place to bury the ashes of the pet it honors.

8. Give to Others

A donation to an animal shelter or rescue service given in your pet’s name is a wonderful way to honor your pet. It will also help you remember your own animal friend as you see happy people leaving the shelter with their new pets.

7. Tattoo You

If you prefer a permanent memory, a tattoo of your pet’s picture between “Mom” and “Born to rock!” will let both you and others know how much you loved your pet. Ask your tattoo artist about mixing a few of your pet’s ashes into the ink to make it a part of the tattoo.

6. Commission a Pet-casso

Most pet lovers have plenty of photos of their furry, finned and feathered friends, but a painting is fine art. Check both brick-and-mortar and online pet stores for ads for artists who will immortalize your pet in anything from a caricature to cool modern art to frame and display on your wall or even on a T-shirt. Another great idea is to turn one of those photos into art by transferring the image to a canvas.

5. Memories in Stone

Pet cemeteries are becoming more prevalent and they usually arrange for a headstone to mark your pet’s burial site. They can simply list their name or have elaborate carvings and shapes. These stone memorials can also be placed in your own yard to remember where your pet romped and played.

4. Keep Them With You

It’s not for everybody, but one way pet lovers can keep their pets after they pass is through taxidermy. Done by a professional, this preservation technique can allow a pet to keep a silent watch on its home and family for many years.

3. A Service to Remember

When a pet passes suddenly, it’s important to give loved ones a chance to say goodbye. Pet cemeteries often provide a place for a memorial service and often will provide an urn or pet casket for your friend. You can also have a service in your home or yard, which is a nice place to spread the ashes of the pet played there.

2. A Shining Tribute

A locket containing a few of your pet’s ashes or a lock or fur is a wonderful wearable memorial that you can wear and keep your pet close to you. Earrings, bracelets and rings can also carry a jeweled memory or photo of your pet.

1. Put It In Writing

Whether it’s on a Facebook or other social media site or on good old-fashioned paper, a book about your pet is a wonderful and lasting memorial. Gather pictures and writing stories about happy times will help relieve some of the grief. Placing the writings and pictures on the Internet lets friends and family share in your pet’s memory no matter where they are.