Losing a pet is heartbreaking. I hope you find peace in these pet loss quotes and poems if you recently lost a beloved pet. Or maybe you’re trying to find the right words to comfort a grieving friend. These poems and quotes will help you celebrate your pal’s life.
Dog And Cat Loss Poems And Quotes
These short pet loss poems are perfect for inscribing on a headstone. Or you might want to print one of them to hang on a wall. They hope to offer comfort and solace during difficult times. So you could even write the words into a sympathy card to send as condolences to a friend who lost a pet.
Grieving for a beloved animal is a normal part of losing them. At first, you may feel like, “My dog has died, and I can’t quit crying.” The sorrow of losing a dog or cat genuinely throws you for a loop. So I hope these quotes give you a little comfort.
Cat Death Poems & Quotes
There is nothing like curling up in a cozy chair with a purring cat! I have found few things in life that rival this wonderful feeling.
Here are some cat loss poems to celebrate our finicky felines.
Four Feet in Heaven
Your favorite chair is vacant now.
No eager purrs to greet me.
No softly padded paws to run
Ecstatically to meet me.
No coaxing rubs, no plaintive cry
Will say it’s time for feeding.
I’ve put away your bowl and all
The things you won’t be needing,
But I will miss you, little friend,
For I could never measure
The happiness you brought me,
The comfort, and the pleasure.
And since God put you here to share
In earthly joy and sorrow;
I’m sure there’ll be a place for you
In Heaven’s bright tomorrow,
— Alice E. Chase
To Love Again
Oh, what unhappy twist of fate
Has brought you homeless to my gate,
The gate where once another stood
To beg for shelter, warmth, and food?
For from that day, I ceased to be
The master of my destiny,
While she, with purr and velvet paw,
Became within my house the law.
She scratched the furniture and shed
And claimed the middle of my bed.
She ruled in arrogance and pride
And broke my heart the day she died.
So if you really think, oh cat,
I’d willingly relive all that,
Because you come forlorn and thin,
Well, don’t just stand there – come on in!
They Will Not Go Quietly
By Linda Barnes
They will not go quietly,
The cats who’ve shared our lives.
In subtle ways, they let us know
Their spirit still survives.
Old habits still make us think
We hear a meow at the door.
Or step back when we drop
A tasty morsel on the floor.
Our feet still go around the place
The food dish used to be,
And, sometimes, coming home at night,
We miss them terribly.
And although time may bring new friends
And a new food dish to fill,
That one place in our hearts
Belongs to them . . . and always will
Dog Loss Poems & Quotes
Losing a dog sometimes feels like losing a part of ourselves. Dogs are loyal companions who live their lives to please us. After my dog Buddy died, I kept listening for his clicking toenails as he pranced down the hallway. I longed to hear just the simple sound of him walking.
These dog loss poems and quotes don’t replace our furry friends, but they might give you comfort for a few minutes.
“If you don’t own a dog at least once, there is not necessarily anything wrong with you. But there may be something wrong with your life.” – Roger Caras
A good dog never dies. He always stays.
He walks beside you on crisp autumn days
when frost is on the fields and winter’s drawing near,
his head within our hand in his old way.
Missing your unconditional love and playful paws,
We are now apart.
You’re gone from our lives,
But never from our hearts.
Short Pet Loss Poems
Short pet loss poems are perfect for writing inside a sympathy card for a friend who lost a pet. They are just a few words that you could even use inside a scrapbook. Pet loss poems come in all styles, so feel free to write your own. Children may benefit from writing a short poem after losing a pet.
You are not forgotten, loved one
Nor will you ever be
As long as life and memory last
We will remember thee
They Will Not Go Quietly
They will not go quietly,
the pets who’ve shared our lives.
In subtle ways they let us know
their spirit still survives.
Old habits still can make us think
we hear them at the door
Or step back when we drop
a tasty morsel on the floor.
Our feet still go around the place
the food dish used to be,
And, sometimes, coming home at night,
we miss them terribly.
And although time may bring new friends
and a new food dish to fill,
That one place in our hearts
belongs to them…
and always will.
“Not the least hard thing to bear when they go from us, these quiet friends, is that they carry away with them so many years of our own lives.” – John Galsworthy.
Haiku on a Lost Parakeet
Once so bright and sweet
Beautiful and full of song
Silence. Just echoes.
Empty quiet house
That once was loud and joyous
I still feel you here
Staring at a Fish Tank
It is true I could not pet you
It is true you did not smile
But no less did I love you
Or watch you with joy all the while
I loved your bright colors and flashing fast fins
I loved the peaceful burble of your tank
Endless hours of joy and wonder
And it is only you I have to thank
Pet Epithats: Headstone Inscriptions For An Animal
If you are planning a backyard burial for your beloved pet, here are some headstone inscription choices. You could even paint these sayings on a memorial rock.
- Faithful, Loyal and Loving Companion
- A Faithful Friend
- Always By My Side
- Faithful Companion
- My Best Friend
Rest In Peace, Dog Death Poems
Dogs are called man’s best friend, and I believe it to be true. I’ve had the privilege of sharing my life with two dogs. And both were the most devoted and loyal companions I could imagine. Here are some short Rest In Peace dog death poems.
Dogs come into our lives to teach us about love.
They depart to teach us about loss.
A new dog never replaces an old dog, it merely expands the heart.
If you have loved many dogs your heart is very big.
– Erica Jong
To call him a dog hardly seems to do him justice,
though inasmuch as he had four legs, a tail, and barked,
I admit he was, to all outward appearances.
But to those who knew him well,
he was a perfect gentleman.
– Hermione Gingold
Tribute to a Best Friend
By Unknown Author
Sunlight streams through the window pane onto a spot on the floor…
then I remember,
it’s where you used to lie, but now you are no more.
Our feet walk down a hall of carpet, and muted echoes sound…
then I remember,
it’s where your paws would joyously abound.
A voice is heard along the road, and up beyond the hill,
then I remember,
it can’t be yours — your golden voice is still.
But I’ll take that vacant spot of floor and empty muted hall,
and lay them with the absent voice and unused dish along the wall.
I’ll wrap these treasured memories in a blanket of my love,
and keep them for my best friend until we meet above.
The Rainbow Bridge
The Rainbow Bridge Poem is one of the best known for losing pets. It paints such a touching image of our pets waiting patiently for us. When we are reunited in death, we’ll cross the bridge together.
The Rainbow Bridge Poem
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water, and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in a joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together….
— Author unknown
Conclusion
It’s never easy to lose a pet. You spend so much of your time with them, that their deaths leave giant holes in your heart. After my first dog died, I thought I could never own another pet again. But then a couple of years later, Buddy came into our lives.
Buddy pranced in with all the swagger a little dog could muster. We rescued him from the Humane Society after his previous owner died. So he was quiet at first. But as he grew to know us, he also grew to love us. And us, him.
I felt devastated after he died. But a friend gave me a copy of The Rainbow Bridge made into a book. And it helped. I hadn’t heard the poem before and it sure painted a beautiful picture of love between humans and their pets.
If you’ve recently lost a pet or know someone who has, I hope these quotes have given you some comfort. Some of the ways you can use them are
- On the pages of your pet’s scrapbook
- Written inside a sympathy card for someone who has lost a pet
- As an inscription for a headstone or memorial rock in your garden
- Printed out and taped near your desk as a small commemoration
- Spoken aloud at a memorial service for your pet
However you choose to memorialize your pet, I know it will be a perfect celebration of his playfulness. The joy pets bring us is not easily replaced, so give yourself time to grieve.
