Pet parents know that our pets hold an important place in our hearts and become part of the family. When these remarkable animals pass away, we grieve their absence and hold onto fond memories.
It can be hard to find the words to comfort a loved one who has lost their furry best friend. If you aren’t a pet parent or haven’t experienced the loss of a pet, it may be especially hard to understand this type of grief.
Still, it’s important to support loved ones who have experienced the loss of a pet. Quotes about pet loss and condolences can bring comfort to those who are going through a healing journey.
Whether we choose to send a pet sympathy card or discuss the loss with our loved ones directly, we want to make sure our words acknowledge the pain they are experiencing and provide support during this difficult time.
What Should You Include in a Pet Sympathy Card?
Sending a pet sympathy card is one way to show your support for a loved one who has lost their pet. Sympathy cards can show your loved one that you are thinking of them during this difficult time. Here are a few ideas for what to include in a pet sympathy card.
Make sure to acknowledge the importance of your loved one’s pet and just how much they will be missed. Consider these sympathy quotes for your pet sympathy card. Many of these quotes have been adapted from folk wisdom and the works of the world’s greatest thinkers to create meaning even within difficult times:
“Although it’s hard today to see beyond this hard time, may looking back on the memories make tomorrow easier.”
“A dog isn't your whole life, but it can make your life whole."
“If there aren't dogs in heaven, when I die I want to go where they went."
“A dog awakens your heart to joy and companionship.”
These quotes can help assure our loved ones that their pet was truly a special member of the family. They remind us all just how integral our pets are in teaching us to love.
Quotes About a Dog’s Goodness
Including quotes about a pet’s heart is another way to comfort a loved one who has lost a pet. These quotes speak about the inherent goodness of a dog:
If your loved one has recently lost a dog, try offering comfort with these quotes:
“If being a soul means the capacity for love and gratitude, animals might have more soul than us."
“I don't know if I believe in immortality, but I do believe dogs go to heaven."
“I hope to go to dog heaven even more than man's heaven."
“Dogs are selfless, good, and full of love. They never deserve anything bad that happens to them."
“Dogs don't need fancy clothes, big cars, or mansions. A stick is more than enough. A dog doesn't care if you're smart or dumb, rich or poor. Just love them and they'll love you."
Quotes About Unconditional Love for a Pet
These quotes describe the impact dogs can have on our lives, providing companionship and love. They also explain the grief that follows loving a dog deeply and losing them:
“You don't know the meaning of love unless you've owned a dog. Dogs can show more love in the flick of a tail than many men can with a handshake."
“I sometimes wonder why dogs have such short lives, and I think it's to spare us. If dogs lived much longer, I don't think I could stand losing them."
“A dog's faithfulness and love is just as much of a binding commitment as love from a human being."
“Dogs find people in an uncanny way and fill an emptiness in our hearts that we don't know we have."
Pet Loss Quotes
If you are having trouble knowing what to say to comfort a loved one who has recently lost their pet, take a look at some of these quotes about grief. These quotes help put words to the unmistakable pain of losing a fluffy companion:
Your loved one may find comfort in these quotes, knowing they are not alone:
“Death ends a life, but it doesn't end a relationship."
“If you've ever enjoyed something, you can never lose it — it becomes a part of you."
“Grief is kind of like an ocean. Sometimes it comes in waves, and other times the current ebbs and flows. All you can do is go with the current and learn to swim."
“Dogs only have one fault: their lives are too short."
“It's often harder to lose a pet than a person — when you lose a pet, you can never say you were only pretending to love them."
“When dogs depart, it teaches us something about loss. A new dog, like a new person, doesn't replace an old one — it just expands the heart."
“One of the hardest things about losing a dog is not just losing them, but being reminded that they carry so many years of memories with them."
Dogs die. But dogs live, too. Right up until they die, they live. They live brave, beautiful lives. They protect our families. And love us. And make our lives a little brighter. And they don’t waste time being afraid of tomorrow.”
“This risk of love is loss, and the price of loss is grief. But the pain of grief is only a shadow when compared with the pain of never risking love.”
Comforting Your Loved One
If your loved one has lost a pet, you likely spent time with their pet before they passed away. If this is the case, you’ll also want to include words that are more personalized towards your own feelings of grief. We love our friends’ and family members’ pets, and we may also be grieving the loss of a remarkable furry companion.
We can write about how their pet impacted us and how we felt when we were around them. A loved one may also be touched if you write about the time you spent with their pet and share fond memories.
Include their pet’s name in the card and some specific traits that you will miss. Let your loved one know that their pet will never be forgotten and will live on in your heart forever. You can also tell them you are there for them if they need someone to talk to or someone to listen.
Give them whatever length of time they need to grieve the loss of their pet, and remind them that sometimes losing a pet can feel like losing a family member. One of the best things you can do for a loved one who has lost their pet is just to be there for them.
What Is the Rainbow Bridge?
The Rainbow Bridge is a poem written to describe a place where dogs go after their death. The fictitious rainbow bridge carries dogs to a place with meadows and hills where they are free to run and play. It is a place where dogs who are sick are restored to health and eagerly wait for the day they will be reunited with their owners.
This poem offers the comforting thought that our dogs are in a better place, waiting for us to return to them one day. It paints the picture of an unconditional love between dog and owner that persists even after they’ve passed on.
Including the Rainbow Bridge poem in a pet sympathy card or printing out the poem and having it framed is one way to show your support to a loved one who has lost their pet.
Wrapping Up
When our loved ones lose a pet, it feels as if they have lost a best friend or a family member. Our pets are loyal companions that love us well and gift us with their friendship.
The loss of a pet can bring deep feelings of grief. We may not know what to say to comfort a loved one who has lost their pet. Thankfully, many writers and important figures have put words to the love we share with our pets.
Sharing these quotes as well as your own personal memories with your loved one’s pet can provide them with much needed comfort in the midst of pain.
Sources:
How to Cope With and Mourn the Loss of a Pet | Cleveland Clinic
Coping with the loss of a pet | American Veterinary Medical Association
