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Light a candle for your pet online

Updated November 6, 2026

Lighting a candle is one of the oldest ways to say "I'm thinking of you" to someone who has died. If your dog, cat or other pet has died and you want to light one tonight, from wherever you are, this is how it works on Porchlight.

How it works on Porchlight

Porchlight is a quiet hill at night where people hang lanterns for pets they've lost. It runs in your web browser, on a phone or a computer.

1. Open Porchlight and tap Come in. You don't need an account.
2. Tap Hang a lantern. Add their name, whether they were a dog, a cat or another animal, their coat color, the years they were born and died if you want, one photo, and a letter to them.
3. The lantern goes up on the hill with their photo in a frame beside it. The light inside the lantern is theirs, and it doesn't go out. Hanging it is free, and the first candle on the table beside it is lit for you.
4. Come back whenever you like and light another. Each candle burns for 7 days and makes the lantern a little brighter while it burns. Up to 10 can burn at once.

After that first one, a candle costs $2.99, paid once. You can also light candles for free: visit on three days in a row to fill three hearts, then spend them on a candle for any lantern on the hill. Leaving a flower is always free. The pricing page has the details.

Lighting a candle for someone else's pet

If a friend has hung a lantern, open the Lanterns list on their hill and search for the pet's name. You can light a candle or leave a flower there. Then send your friend a short message to say you did, so they know someone else is remembering their pet too.

If you're not sure what to write, our list of pet sympathy messages has examples for most situations.

When people light one

• On the day they died, and on that date each year.
• On their birthday, or the day you brought them home.
• On any evening the house feels too quiet.

Lighting a real candle at home

You don't need anything special. Put a candle next to their photo, maybe with their collar or a favorite toy, and light it at the time of day you'd usually have been together: the evening walk, or the hour they used to sit on your lap. Say their name. Some people read a letter they've written, and some just sit for a while.

Never leave a burning candle alone, and if you have other pets, keep it well out of reach of tails and paws. A battery candle works just as well, and you can leave it on all night.

Common questions

Is it free?

Hanging a lantern, adding a photo and a letter, leaving flowers and visiting other lanterns are free. Your lantern's first candle is free too. Extra candles cost $2.99 each, or you can light one with hearts after visiting on three days in a row.

Can other people see my lantern?

Yes. Lanterns are shared, so anyone who visits that hill can see your pet's name, photo and letter. Write only what you're comfortable sharing.

Will the lantern be taken down?

No. Free lanterns stay up. If you'd like a quieter spot, you can move the lantern to a fenced garden plot of its own by the Rainbow Bridge, which is a one-time purchase.

Can I manage it from another device?

Yes. From your lantern you can copy a private link. Open it on another phone or computer to light candles and change the photo there. Anyone with that link can do the same, so keep it to yourself.

For other ways to remember them, at home or outdoors, see our pet memorial ideas.