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Pet memorial ideas

Updated November 6, 2026

There's no right way to remember a pet, and no deadline. Some people want to do something in the first week. Others can't face it for months. Here are ideas that cost little or nothing, sorted by where they happen, so you can pick the one that sounds like you and your animal.

At home

• Hang their collar and tags on a hook by the door, where the leash used to go.
• Make a small shelf or corner with a photo, their collar, and one favorite toy.
• Fill a shadow box frame with the collar, a tag, a whisker or a little fur, and a photo.
• Ask for a paw print. Some vets and pet cremation services can take one in clay or ink, so ask before the appointment if you'd like it. You can also press a paw into air-dry clay at home.
• Print a small photo book. Going through your phone for it is hard, so you might ask someone to sit with you while you choose.
• Get a portrait painted or drawn from a favorite photo, by a local artist if you can.

Outdoors

• Plant a tree, a shrub or a patch of their favorite flowers. If you rent, a large pot works and can move with you.
• Put a garden stone or a small plaque with their name where they liked to lie in the sun.
• Walk their favorite route on their birthday, or on the date they died.
• Hang a bird feeder or wind chime where you'll see or hear it every day.

If you're thinking of burying your pet at home, check your local rules first. They differ a lot between cities and countries, and some places don't allow it at all.

Keepsakes you can carry or wear

• A pendant or ring made with a little of their ashes or fur.
• Their ID tag on your keyring.
• A pendant engraved with their nose print or paw print, made from a photo or an ink print.
• A blanket or cushion sewn from their bandanas, or from the blanket they slept on.
• A soft toy made to look like them, which can help children.
• A tattoo of their paw print, their name, or their face. Bring a clear photo, and the artist can work from it.

Giving in their name

• Donate to a local shelter or rescue in their name. Some will send a card or add the name to a memorial wall.
• Take unopened food, treats and spare beds to a shelter. Call first, because some can't take opened bags or medicine.
• Volunteer to walk dogs or socialize cats. Some people find it helps, and some find it too soon.

Writing it down

• Write them a letter. Say whatever you didn't get to say, or just tell them about your day.
• Keep a list of small things you don't want to forget: the noise they made when they stretched, how they waited at the bottom of the stairs. Small things like these are easy to lose over time.
• Ask friends and family to send you one memory each.

Rituals for their dates

• Light a candle on their birthday, their adoption day, or the anniversary of their death. It can be a real one at home or an online candle.
• Give a yearly donation on the same day.
• Say their name out loud at dinner, and let everyone tell one story.
• On the first anniversary, look back through their photos on purpose, instead of having your phone surprise you with them.

With children

• Let them draw pictures or write a note to the pet, and keep them in a memory box.
• Plant something together, and let them water it.
• Use plain words. "Died" is easier for small children to understand than "went to sleep" or "we lost him."

Online memorials

An online memorial is something you can visit from anywhere, and something other people can visit too. Some people post a tribute on social media. Others want a place that's only about their pet, without ads or likes.

That's what we built Porchlight for. You hang a lantern on a 3D hill at night with their name, years, one photo and a letter. The lantern is free and its light stays on. You can light candles beside it, and other people walking the hill can stop to read their name and leave a flower. Lanterns are public to anyone who visits that hill, so write only what you're happy for strangers to read.

If none of this feels right yet, that's fine. You can come back to this page whenever you're ready. Our guide to the first days after losing a pet might be more useful right now.