Remembering Our Deceased Pets And The Holiday That Honors Them
The month of June is filled with many different pet themed holidays to observe and celebrate. Some of these pet themed holidays include Adopt A Cat Month, National Zoo & Aquarium Month, National Garfield The Cat Day, and more! However, one of the most impactful pet themed holidays of June is World Pet Memorial Day which occurs on the second Tuesday of June. This article will go over everything you need to know about World Pet Memorial Day and offer some suggestions on how you can observe this important holiday too.
The History
World Pet Memorial Day was originally founded by the A.V.M.A. (American Veterinary Medical Association). They created this holiday so that pet owners everywhere could have an opportunity to memorialize and honor their deceased pets. The A.V.M.A. and many other pet related organizations continue to observe World Pet Memorial Day every year on the second Tuesday of June. This year (2023) it will land on Tuesday June 13th.
The Purpose
Here at My Dog Walker & Pet Sitting, we treat our pets like family members. It’s never easy losing a loved one, but it’s still very important to remember them. World Pet Memorial Day gives us that opportunity to honor and remember our beloved pets.
Although it may be sad knowing that they’re gone, this holiday helps us remember all of the love & joy they brought into our lives. As long as we continue to remember our pets that have passed away, they are never truly gone. They continue to live on through us and in our hearts everyday.
How You Can Observe
There are many different ways you can memorialize and honor our deceased pets’ memory this June. How and where is entirely up to you and there is no right or wrong way to do so. Here are a few examples of ways you can honor your deceased pet’s memory.
Plant A Flower Or Tree
Death can be a difficult thing to cope with. However, it’s important to remember and focus on your pet’s life as opposed to their death. Their life was beautiful and should be celebrated everyday. A great way to celebrate your pet’s life is to plant flowers or a tree in their memory (ideally near your home so you can see it everyday). Depending on the species, most trees will live for at least 50 or more years allowing you to observe and watch it grow over many years.
Make A Scrapbook Or Photo Album
Another great way to honor your pet’s memory is to make a scrapbook or photo album. A picture says a thousand words and having a whole book of them will surely bring back some fond and loving memories of your pets. There are many companies that will make a photo album for you such as CVS, Shutterfly, and Canva. All you have to do is send them the pictures and they take care of the rest.
Create A Memorial Stone
A truly beautiful way to honor your deceased pet’s memory is to make a memorial stone. A memorial stone is essentially a flat stone that sits upright and serves as a mini tombstone. They often have personal information inscribed on them about the deceased such as a photograph, an epitaph, and/or a quote. Try creating a memorial stone for your pet and place it in your garden or along a pathway you commonly walk.
Donate To A Local Charity Or Animal Rescue Group
The life of a pet is truly something special and worth celebrating even after they’re gone. Another great way to honor your deceased pets is to help other pets in need. There are many pets in animal shelters that desperately need a good home and your donation could put them one step closer to finding a forever home.
Aside from money, you can also donate your time as a volunteer to your local animal shelter. Your passed away pets would be happy knowing you’re making a positive difference in other pet’s lives through donation and/or volunteer work.
Gone, But Never Forgotten
World Pet Memorial Day is a very impactful and important holiday. It honors our deceased furry friends, but it also gives us pet owners a chance to reflect on how wonderful they enriched our lives. Our pets are like family. They make us happy, bring us joy, and increase our capacity to love. In short, our relationships with our pets is a truly magical experience that should never be forgotten. They may be gone, but they will never be forgotten.
We hope this article helped give you some ideas on how to observe World Pet Memorial Day and honor your gone, but not forgotten pets. For more pet themed articles like this, be sure to check out the My Dog Walker & Pet Sitting blog section by clicking here. Thanks for reading and happy World Pet Memorial Day!