Writing comforting messages to a friend or colleague in grief can be difficult for anyone. It can be difficult to gauge whether your message has a sincere ring to it or already comes across as patronizing or insensitive.
When writing in a sympathy card for pet loss, the difficulty persists. After all, what do you say to someone who has lost a beloved companion whom you know was loved and cherished to the very end?
If this is your first time to send a sympathy card to someone grieving the loss of a precious pet, the following tips can give you a quick guide as to what to say and what not to say in your message.
Some Helpful Writing Tips in a Sympathy Card for Pet Loss
- Mention the name of the pet in the card message, rather than simply stating ‘dog’, ‘cat’, or any other type of animal.
- Tell them how sorry you are for their loss.
- If you have a specific memory about the pet, include it in your message.
- Remind your friend that s/he was a wonderful pet parent. Include details and personal experiences to prove your point.
- Avoid comforting the card recipient with patronizing lines such as, “you will find another pet”, or “the loss is meant to be”. While you mean well, your friend may not be ready to hear about adopting another pet or about how the loss can be taken as a blessing in disguise.
- As a conclusion, offer to be present when they need your companionship or listening ear.
What Else Can You Include in Your Sympathy Card?
In addition to writing a heartfelt message in your card, you may also include a striking quote or several quotes about the significance of pets in our lives. You may also include a poem about pets, such as Flush or Faunus by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Ode on the death of a favorite cat by Thomas Gray, and Little George by Mark Doty, to mention a few.
A book about pets and grief can also be a nice addition to your sympathy card. If you have a photo of the cherished pet, you may have it printed, tucked into the card, or blown up into a framed picture.
Sympathy Gifts for Pet Loss Other Than Sympathy Cards
If sympathy cards are not your cup of tea, there are many other kinds of sympathy tokens which are ideal for a pet-bereft friend or colleague.
For example, you may send a pet-themed memorial jewelry item instead. This jewelry may be customized to reflect the engraved name of the pet. Or you can order a customized pet memorial stone which the recipient may put up in a small garden memorial. If your friend loves gardening, you may gift him or her with a memorial tree or rose plants which may be planted in their backyard.
Whether or not you are keen on words or heartfelt messages, the effort you have taken to remember your friend in a time of loss is considerably more important.
Find Sympathy Cards and other Remembrance Tokens for the Loss of Beloved Pets at the Comfort Company
Psychologists and animal lovers understand how devastating a pet loss can be. According to grief experts, losing a pet can hurt just as much as losing a family member. This makes gestures of sympathy and comfort highly important.
By sending sympathy cards with the right messages to a grieving friend or colleague, you are showing to them how much you care about their loss and their journey from grief to healing.
If you are looking for pet loss sympathy cards and sympathy gifts, look no further than the Comfort Company. We offer artist-illustrated sympathy cards and a selection of memorial gift items. To view our offerings, click here.