Pet Memorials: Remembering a beloved pet

Losing someone special is never easy. But commemorating your pet’s life — and your enduring connection — can provide comfort and light in the darkest of moments.

Here at Best Friends, home to the largest no-kill animal sanctuary in the country, grief can arrive when we least expect it. But so too do the hope and healing that come from remembering those we love. That’s why we offer this unique digital space to create a lasting and personal tribute to your cherished companion. 

Memorial stones

Honor your pet with a memorial

Pay tribute to your special animal companion by creating a pet memorial. The process is simple, and you’ll be guided at your own pace through each step.

Make a donation in remembrance

Your gift in memory of an animal or person will go straight to work helping homeless dogs and cats in Best Friends programs across the country.

Recent Memorials

View all memorials »
Angels Rest Gates

A peaceful place of remembrance

At the heart of Best Friends is Angels Rest, a place of comfort where we remember cherished dogs, cats, and other animals who have passed and pay tribute to these never-forgotten companions.
A place of remembrance

Other meaningful ways to remember your pet

If you’d like to pay tribute to your pet or the pet of a loved one, wind chimes can be sent directly to you.

Or you can choose to have wind chimes, a memorial brick, or a marker placed at Angels Rest here at the Sanctuary — one of the most beautiful settings on Earth in which to memorialize our treasured animals.

Close up of wind chimes

The soothing sounds of wind chimes can comfort and calm a heart that’s hurting.

They can be sent to you or you can request to have them placed at Angels Rest or Angels Overlook.
Order wind chimes
Memorial bricks

An engraved brick is a touching memorial for a pet or person who has passed.

The brick will be placed permanently along a path at Angels Rest at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.
Purchase a brick
Flagstone marker

These beautiful markers celebrate the lasting impact a pet has had on your life.

Markers may be mailed or placed at the Sanctuary. Flagstone and granite options available.
Order a marker

Additional ways to commemorate a pet

There are several ways to honor the memory of a cherished pet, and each one can provide comfort while bringing love and care to animals around the country.

Tokens in the palm of hands

Provide support with memorial gifts

Show love, care, and support for a grieving loved one: Browse pet sympathy gifts in our online store to find special and unique ways to pay tribute.
Browse pet memorial gifts
Cat being cuddled by owner

Honor the memory of a pet with a personal fundraiser

Our easy-to-use digital fundraising tool allows you to commemorate a special pet or person while raising funds and awareness for the animals. Spread the word and make a big impact.
Create a memorial fundraiser
Woman hugging dog

Find comfort in community

Continue the healing journey by posting photos, sharing memories, and connecting with like-minded people who understand the depth of the human-animal bond.
Join the group
Person scratching a dog's chin while sitting together on a couch

Place a pet memorial in ‘Best Friends’ magazine

You can submit a pet memorial for consideration on the Saying Goodbye page in Best Friends magazine. Please send your submission, along with a photo, to editor@bestfriends.org.
Submit a pet memorial
Stack of sympathy cards

Request a complimentary sympathy card with keepsake

Request our complimentary sympathy card package, which provides everything you need to make a donation to the animals and/or create a memorial tribute for a beloved pet.
Request your free cards
Hand painted memorial rocks

Paint a memorial rock to remember your pet

Here at Best Friends, we have a long-held tradition of painting memorial stones in honor of animals who have passed. You can follow along to create a beautiful memorial stone of your own.
Create a memorial rock

For information about placing your pet at Angels Rest, please contact angelsrest@bestfriends.org. 

Request a placement »

Coping with pet loss

Grief over the passing of a pet is very real, and coping can be a challenging — and even misunderstood — process. No amount of time with our best friends is enough, and saying goodbye can be devastatingly difficult.

Know that whenever you feel ready, there are several ways to honor the memory of your cherished pet.

Memorial charms hanging from tree

Guided reflections to help you cope with grief

Take a moment to breathe, reflect, and find calm with our 10-minute guided meditation on pet loss and remembrance.
Start the meditation
Hand holding dog paw

Resources for coping with the loss of your pet

The grieving process is personal and can differ tremendously from person to person. We hope that in time the memories of your pet become a comfort and a light.
Get help
Person petting a cat in front of a sunny window

Pet loss workshop

Clinical psychologist Dr. Katie Lawlor and Best Friends' own Patty Hegwood discuss effective coping skills and ways to honor pets' lives.
Watch the recording
Bunnies sitting on a yoga mat in grass with a person next to them

Moving through grief with yoga

Join fellow animal-lovers in this yoga practice accessible to all student levels, centering on movement of energy through the body to explore and release grief.
Watch the recording
Person kneeling down next to a dog on a sidewalk

Love Lives On: Pet Loss Journaling

We know how hard it is to deal with the loss of a pet, and we have an expert to help you.
Watch the recording
Memorial photo icon

Memorializing your pet

Whether you are creating a memorial for your own pet or on behalf of a grieving loved one, you’ll be able to easily share your tribute, including via social media.

Visitors will have the option to post their own comments and words of encouragement. You can also leave a virtual token of remembrance on other memorial tribute pages as a symbol of your sympathy and support.

When you create a memorial, you ensure your pet will also be remembered in our monthly blessing that takes place at Angels Rest here at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. These ceremonies celebrate and pay tribute to the special animals who remain forever in our hearts.

Create a Memorial