To many loving pet owners losing a pet is like losing a member of the family. Many pets are loyal friends and companions and offer their owners unconditional love and comfort that is almost impossible to get from a human. Grieving for the loss of a friend or family member is expected and understood and yet many feel that they are not allowed to mourn when their pet passes on. Often they fear being ridiculed or mocked if they allow their distress to be visible and yet they can be closer to their pet than any human they know.
Pet cemeteries are becoming more common and offer pet owners a place to lay their pet to rest and somewhere to go to mourn and remember them. Others prefer to scatter ashes in their pet’s favorite place or to keep them close to hand as a reminder. Until recently, these options have been the most common but even so they remain rare. However, as with most things, the Internet is opening up a range of new opportunities.
For pet owners who are unable to retain their pet’s ashes, or who do not wish to do so, there is still a place where they can remember their pets and give and receive comfort to others who have lost their pets. Pet cemeteries are few and far between and so this virtual
graveyard allows everyone to gather together regardless of their location, mobility, age or gender. In Memory of Pets was set up in 1997 after the website host, John Mingo, lost his beloved dog, Candy. The site has many options for pet lovers both to celebrate their lives and also to offer support to others who are grieving their own losses.
The site has a section for tributes, poems and such like and also gives you the opportunity to light a candle in memory of your pet. This is done with an online ceremony and allows you to submit a photo of your pet. This then remains on the site permanently so that you can find and view the candle and remember your pet at any time that you wish to do so.
For those who have experienced the pain of losing a pet in the past, this site offers a real opportunity to share the grief and openly mourn their passing. No longer is it an embarrassment to grieve your pet’s death from anywhere in the world.
About The Author
Scott Miller is a regular contributor to Ann's Pet Supplies http://www.annspetsupplies.com where more information about pet supplies and pet products are freely available.
Written by: Scott Miller
