Eulogy for a pet

Pet grief is real grief. The dog who walked next to you for fourteen years, the cat who slept in the laundry basket, the horse you grew up with, were members of the household. Saying a few words for them, even if only your immediate family hears it, is allowed and it helps. The broader frame for any eulogy is in how to write a eulogy.

Keep it short and specific

A eulogy for a pet should be two or three minutes. Specific beats sentimental. The way she greeted you at the door. The face she made when she heard the treat bag. The sound of his nails on the kitchen floor. Those are the things you will miss, and those are the things to name.

Two example openings

Example one, a dog

Tucker was the third member of our marriage. He arrived eight months before our daughter, and he left eight months after she turned thirteen. For thirteen years he was the warmest place in the house. He was also, depending on the day, the loudest. We were lucky to be his people.

Example two, a cat

Olive did not love everyone. She loved exactly four of us. She picked us, one at a time, over seventeen years. To be picked by Olive was to be told, quietly and with great certainty, that you were enough.

What to include about a pet

• The day you brought her home, in 30 seconds
• Her one weird habit only the family knew about
• Who she chose as her person
• The thing she did that made the kids laugh
• What you learned from her, said simply

For kids in the house

If your children are grieving the pet, our guide on how to tell the children has age-by-age language that works for pet loss too. Letting kids write a sentence for the eulogy, and reading it aloud with their name attached, gives them a place to put the feeling.

A small ceremony at home

Many families hold a small ceremony at home: light a candle, read the eulogy, plant a tree or a perennial in the yard, bury or place the urn. None of this is required. All of it helps.

When you are ready, Stillwith helps you draft yours. Pets are welcome.