A Little More Personal This Week

Greetings, friends! Andrea here. We had another blog post in the works for this week, but were compelled to change our minds due to an unexpected loss in my family on Monday. My husband, two boys and I had to say good-bye to our beloved dog, Jasper. We all know he will no longer feel any pain and can now run with all his friends in doggy Heaven whenever he wants, but that doesn't make the loss any easier. Jasper, like many of our pets, was a member of our family and was loyal to us for his 15 years. Like any loss of a loved one, it will take time to process and heal, and we hope you'll take an extra moment to hug or kiss your own pet in honor of our sweet Jasper.

This sad event got us thinking about how to pay tribute when we lose a family pet. We believe in honoring our animals and their years of love and loyalty, so how do we show that?

First, consider hosting a proper funeral or memorial for your pet. Keep it immediate family only for a private ceremony or invite close friends and family who knew the pet well and loved him or her almost as much as you. Share stories, photos, celebrate the time you got to share with your pet! Bury a toy or bone in the yard to commemorate the lifetime of your pet. It is not legal to actually bury your pet in your yard, but veterinary offices have cremation services that dignify your pet and return the ashes to you for proper good-byes. If you scatter or bury ashes in your yard, you can even lay an inscribed garden stone for him or her, especially if you live in your forever home and want to keep his or her spirit there in some way.

Another nice way to pay tribute to your pet is to donate to a local shelter or animal cause in his or her name. Animal shelters and humane societies truly do noble work, and they would be thrilled to receive a gift of any size in the name of a well-loved pet and it's family. When you're ready, maybe even consider volunteering at a local shelter. Being around animals is proven to lift your spirits and elevate your mood, so not only do you benefit from playing with cute dogs and cats who will absolutely relish in your attention, but you will be helping them too. You will help prevent them from getting depressed if their stay at the shelter is long, and you will also keep them well-socialized and affectionate so they can find their forever families!

Something small you can do is keep your pet's tags and make them into a holiday ornament so they can continue to celebrate with your family in spirit. You can include a picture or just their tags, but it will be a simple reminder for years to come of the happy holiday times you spent with your pet.

Thinking again about your home and yard, where your pet spent most of its time, we like the idea of planting a tree to honor your pet. This is a much more meaningful gesture if you're in your forever home, once again, so think carefully before you make the commitment. It might seem silly, but we would feel very emotional to leave a home after 5 or 6 years and leave the tree we planted for our dog. Just something to consider.

Finally, someday when your family is ready, consider adopting a new pet. There is nothing like having a furry friend to come home to each day who is always happy to see you and offers so much love and goofy antics to a home. We are obviously pet-lovers here at The Murphy Team, so this is only our opinion, but we just can't imagine a home without a pet!

Again, we thank you all for your extended sympathies to our family and all families who have gone through the same situation. We will take our time healing, allow ourselves time to grieve over losing our pet and pay tribute in the way we see fit. Our cats and dogs are not just animals, right?  We know that -- and eventually we might even welcome a new furry friend into our home.

Thank you for allowing us to share something so personal with you all. We truly feel like our clients and colleagues are like family, so your kind words and messages have really meant the world to my family.