12 Best Pet Loss Sympathy Gifts of 2024: Thoughtful Gift Ideas

It’s the part of owning a pet that no one wants to think about: the day when they leave you to cross that rainbow bridge.

Losing a furry friend can be just as devastating as losing a human companion, and if someone you love is dealing with such a tragedy, one of the best ways to let them know that you care is by giving them a pet memorial gift.

We have reviews of thoughtful and caring sympathy gifts that you can give a pet owner. These won’t lessen the sting of their loss, but they may help remind them that someone out there cares just as much as they do.

The 12 Best Pet Loss Sympathy Gifts

This Pawprints Left by You memorial windchime will help fill that void. It won’t recreate the sounds that your beloved pet made, but every time it makes noise, you’ll be reminded of them. It also comes with a beautiful poem commemorating the impact that our pets have on our lives.

Suitable for indoor or outdoor use, the musical tubes are made of durable metal, and both pawprint charms are elegant and understated. There’s room for additional engraving as well if you’d like to personalize it for the intended recipient.

It is a bit heavy, so it takes a good bit of wind to activate the chimes. Beyond that, though, there’s little to criticize about the Pawprints Left by You windchime — it’s sure to be a welcome gift at a time of great loss and is one of the best dog loss sympathy gift we have found.

3. Paint Your Life Custom Pet Portrait

Dealing with the loss of a beloved pet is difficult, but you can make it a little easier by gifting a custom pet portrait from Paint Your Life. These amazingly realistic portraits can be made from any photo in a variety of styles and mediums. You get to choose the artist and approve the painting before it’s finished, and your recipient will be wowed by an incredibly thoughtful gift in less than a month.

These paintings aren’t cheap, but your favorite pet lover is worth it! And don’t worry: Paint Your Life offers a full money-back guarantee in case anything goes wrong.

It has a light, soothing fragrance, a combination of honey and golden vanilla. The result is calming without being overwhelming — the perfect mixture for a grieving pet parent. This is a long-lasting candle too, as it will give you over 70 hours of burn time.

You won’t have to deal with a great deal of smoke or soot, as it contains no dyes, paraffin, or anything else that would fill your home with noxious fumes.

Once it’s used up, however, it’s still worth keeping around, as the jar is reusable and is covered in phrases that will remind you of your companion.

Of course, a candle isn’t the most lasting tribute, but the reusable jar helps in that regard to make it the best cat loss sympathy gift we’ve found.

If you’re looking for something classy and understated, the Pet House Furever Loved Memorial is definitely the way to go.

This gorgeous keepsake is made of hand-painted resin, giving it a serious, enduring look — like a little statue carved in stone. It can be placed anywhere in the house, allowing you to put it wherever you want to think about your departed pup most frequently.

The understated look blends in with any décor, and the large heart carved into the figure will surely tug on your emotions. The wire wings allow you to hang it if you like, but it has a certain amount of heft to it, so be careful.

As you might expect, this isn’t the most durable ornament, so don’t drop it. Also, there’s no way to customize it, and it would be nice if you could engrave a pet’s name on it somewhere.

Still, the Carson Industries Faithful Friend is a touching reminder of the life that was shared inside your home. It’s sure to be a welcome addition to any mantle.

This is a surprisingly large memorial — you might struggle to find a place to put it. Still, it’s beautiful and durable and should be around to remind you of your buddy for years. There’s even a frame for a picture.

However, the frame isn’t that secure, so the photo that you insert could be damaged by critters or the elements. You may want to put the entire thing someplace where Mother Nature can’t touch it. It’s also not flush with the surface of the memorial, so it’s prone to catching leaves and other debris, which could block your view of the touching quote that’s engraved into the resin. You can leave it inside, of course, and it will dress up your mantle or tabletop; it will just take up space that way.

If you’re going all-out to commemorate your pet, the Pawprints Remembered Pet Memorial Stone will certainly do just that. It’s not ideal for anyone who wants a subtle reminder of their departed friend, however.

The frame has room for your dog’s collar (assuming that they’re a small breed — it’s not big enough for larger dogs). Above the collar is a space for a photo of your pet, creating a gorgeous memorial to one of your most treasured friendships.

Both the collar and frame are protected by glass, and an easel and hanger allow you to put it wherever you like. The frame is enclosed in hand-finished wood, adding an extra touch of class.

You do need to be careful when installing the collar, as the paper backing tears easily. Also, the photo slot is an odd dimension and won’t accommodate a 4×6 picture, so you’ll need to do a bit of editing.

If you can make everything fit, though, the Pearhead Dog Collar Frame is one of the most striking ways that we’ve found to remember a lost pet.

The cylinder is designed to hold a few of your departed pet’s ashes, so you’ll literally be carrying them with you. It’s a touching tribute, but it may be a bit macabre for some.

The necklace is made of stainless steel, so it can survive a bit of a beating. You won’t have to be careful when you wear it, and there’s no need to worry about it breaking if it accidentally smacks into something during the course of your day.

There are pewter paw prints on the casing, adding an adorable touch to the whole thing. It also comes with a filling kit and box to make the remains transfer as simple as possible.

It’s fairly pricey, and you can’t get it wet, or you risk ruining the remains. Other than that, the Pet’s Life Onyx Paw Necklace is one of the most poignant ways to keep your pet close to you.

The Pearhead Pawprints Picture Frame gives you a beautiful way to both keep and display this print. The wall frame holds the print on one side and a picture of your pet on the other, creating a stunning tribute to your furry friend.

The frame has a distressed finish that blends in well with most existing decorations, and the sawtooth hanger makes it easy to display on any wall. There’s also a gray background board that offsets both the print and the photograph nicely.

The print is held in place by double-sided tape, but unfortunately, it’s not that strong. You may have to replace it with a different type or find another solution. Also, it’s hard to keep both the picture and the print centered in the display, so you may have to fiddle with them a bit before you hang it up.

The kit includes the clay needed to make a paw print yourself, but most people won’t think to do it ahead of time (and it’s a bit morbid to offer this as a gift before the pet dies). As a result, you’ll need to be absolutely certain that you can get a print from the vet, or else the whole thing is worthless.

That said, you won’t find many display options that are classier than the Pearhead Pawprints Picture Frame, making it well worth the hassle it causes during setup.

While its sandstone construction would seem to lend it to outside placement, there’s also a keyhole hanger on the back that enables you to hang it on a wall.

Regardless of where you place it, you’ll need to be careful with it, as it’s easily damaged. That makes it something less than weatherproof, especially if you live in an area that’s prone to harsh weather.

It only weighs about 3 pounds, so it’s easy to move around, but it could also blow away in heavy winds. You’ll need to put it somewhere out of the way, which somewhat reduces its value as a memorial.

The Carson Industries Paw Prints on Our Hearts is a beautiful way to honor your fur baby, but you’ll need to be careful about where and how you place it if you want it to stay in one piece.

The charming desktop piece includes a slot for a photo between two glass plates, and in front of that, there’s a small inscription alongside a pewter house. All of this sits atop a black woodblock, giving the frame both heft and a sturdy base.

It’s hard to put the photo in, though, so be sure you get the one you want to display inserted the first time. There may also be glue left behind from the stock photo, which could damage the picture that you select.

You won’t find much space between the pewter house and the photo, which can make it difficult to clean. Expect dust to gather there. It’s also dog-specific, so it’s not much use if your loved one has lost a cat or other animal.

The front of the necklace features a single, understated paw print, while eethe other side has a filigree design. Inside, you’ll find a tiny brass urn designed to hold a few of your departed pet’s ashes.

The whole thing is a bit heavy and bulky, so it’s unlikely that you’ll ever forget that you’re wearing it. It’s also difficult to hide beneath a shirt.

Unfortunately, the paw print tends to fade over time, and the clasp is unreliable. If you’re not careful, it may fall off — and you certainly don’t want to lose it.

It’s difficult to get the locket to close as well, as you have to position the urn in the perfect position to get it to shut. Again, losing the urn would be heartbreaking, so this can be a major flaw if you’re not careful.

Pet Loss Gift Buyer’s Guide

Losing a pet is incredibly painful, and buying a gift for someone mourning such a loss can be difficult as well. However, there are a few things that you should keep in mind if you want to buy something that will truly touch them in their time of loss.

What Should I Look For When Buying a Pet Memorial Gift?

This is difficult to answer definitively, as it will vary depending on the situation. What will work for one owner may be completely wrong for another.

Generally speaking, though, something that can be personalized is vastly preferable to something that isn’t. They want to remember their specific furry friend, not be given a generic reminder about pet loss. While something featuring their animal’s picture or name might be painful at first, it will likely become a treasured possession over time.

Durability should be a concern as well. Many owners will transfer some of their feelings from the lost pet to the memorial gift, so if it becomes damaged or broken, it may feel like losing the animal all over again.

What’s the Best Way to Help Someone Deal With the Loss of a Pet?

The most important thing you can do is to be there for them. Listen to their concerns, reminisce about their favorite moments, and hold them when they need it.

Don’t tell them that you know how they feel, even if you’ve lost pets yourself. This tends to have an incredibly negative effect on anyone who’s grieving. If you must say something, let them know that you remember how severe your pain was in a similar moment, but give them space to share their own feelings.

Also, don’t try to rush the process. This includes trying to cheer them up, and it certainly includes disposing of things that might remind them of their pet. These items are likely to be even more treasured now that the pet is gone, so even if they’re painful at the moment, they’ll want them around in the long run.

Definitely don’t try to replace the pet that was lost either. It will likely take time before they’re ready for another best friend, and having a new animal to take care of will add even more stress to the situation. Worse, the new pet might end up neglected or unloved.

Ultimately, all you can do is be there for them. If it’s been a while and you fear that they’re not healing, you may suggest speaking with a therapist or finding a way to treasure the memories of the lost animal rather than being hurt by them.

Conclusion

Helping someone recover from the loss of a pet isn’t easy, but the gifts on this list should help assuage their pain a little bit.

We hope that these reviews have made it easier for you to find the perfect memorial token for your grieving friend, but you should understand that no gift, no matter how thoughtful, will be a replacement for your kind words and attentive presence.

Losing a pet is incredibly heartbreaking, but these gifts can help refocus our attention on what truly matters: all the love that they brought into our lives in the first place.

We truly hope that this guide helps you find the perfect gift for someone who lost a pet.

See Also:

• What Is the Rainbow Bridge for Pets? Origins, Pop Culture & FAQs
• Personalized Gifts for Pet Owners