September 13^th, 2020 is National Pet Memorial Day. We at Summit Veterinary Referral Center, are thinking of all of you who are grieving and memorializing your beloved animals who have gone before you. Our hearts are with you.

Who have you been remembering today?

What memorials or rituals are you incorporating to honor your beloved friend?

As you reflect on your special animal, are there specific memories you cherish most that bring you comfort and keep your animal’s presence in your heart? What was special and unique about him or her and your unique relationship? As you pay tribute and reflect on your life together, think about the lessons they have taught you (and continue to teach you) that have inspired personal growth or perhaps offered you a legacy of their life. As you move beyond today and honor this bond, I wish for you feelings of joy and gratitude for the many memories and hope and peace for the future.

Ways honor and memorialize on this day:

1. Write a Letter: Writing a letter to or from your companion animal that has passed can be a very soothing process to explore how you feel.
2. Create a Scrapbook or Collage: Take pictures from your favorite memories with your animal and put them together. This can be a visual way to take a trip down memory lane.
3. Create a Living Memorial: Plant something outside or get an indoor plant as a living symbol of your animal.
4. Make a Donation: Donate to an organization or charity in honor of your animal to pass on their legacy. You can be creative with this, even if it is donating time by volunteering, or even doing charitable for one person instead of an organization.
5. Frame a Special Photo: Put a special photo on display, or even have the photo or an item that belonged to your animal be with you while you listen to music, watch a movie, or do another activity you both enjoyed to do together.
6. Read Some Poetry: Do some reading of meaningful poetry or passages that speak to you.
7. Go on a socially distanced walk in a place that is meaningful to your relationship with your animal, or somewhere the brings you peace while you remember and reflect on your beloved animal.

Thank you for honoring the lives of companion animals with us. We welcome you to comment a picture of your beloved companion animal that has passed, as well as share their story and celebrate their life with us.

If you are struggling with the loss of your companion animal, you are not alone and we are here to support you. The veterinary social work team at Summit Veterinary Referral Ceremony offers individual counseling and support, as well as a pet loss support group twice per month. Please visit our website (https://www.summitvets.com/social-work.html), reach out via email to socialwork@summitvets.com for more information, or call us at: 253-983-1114, extension 116.