A gift for someone whose dog has died
When a friend's dog dies, it is hard to know what to give. Pet charities point the same way: use the animal's name, share a memory, and help keep what there is to remember.
What pet charities advise
- Send a handwritten card, say you are sorry and use the dog's name (RSPCA).
- Offer practical help: a meal, a lift, company (RSPCA).
- Photos, a scrapbook or a memory box are a common way to remember a pet (Blue Cross).
- Do not suggest a new pet. “You can always get another one” is on the RSPCA's list of things not to say.
RSPCA: supporting someone after a pet diesBlue Cross: coping with loss (PDF)
Gifts that fit
- A card with a short poem.
- A photo you took of the dog, printed and framed.
- A donation to a rescue in the dog's name.
- A plant or a small tree for the garden.
- A book about the dog that they make themselves.
Why a book they make themselves
You cannot write the book for them: the chair he slept in and the sound at the door are theirs to tell. With the gift you pay, and they make the book when they are ready, within a year. They answer seven questions about the dog, in the past tense, and get a 28-page book with their own photos.
How you give it
- Fill in their name, the dog's name and a short message. Pay €36.99.
- Print the card to go with flowers or through the letterbox, or have the gift emailed on a day you choose.
- They open it when they want to and make the book. The hardcover with shipping is included, and they see no price.
- You get an email when the book is ready.
When to give it
There is no right moment. A card goes in the first days. A gift that asks something of them, like answering questions, can also come a few weeks later, once the first messages have stopped. The emailed gift can be set for any day up to a year ahead.
What such a book looks like
Luna was a cat, 2009 to 2025. Her book is about ten to six on Tom's chest and leaves on the doormat, and it ends with Rufus, the dog, sleeping by the window alone. Bommel's book, about a rabbit, is in the past tense too. Both are examples, not customers.
What to write with it
Questions
Is a gift appropriate when a pet dies?
Yes. A card with the pet's name always fits. For a close friend, something that keeps their memories can go with it.
What if they are not ready to make a book?
The gift is valid for a year. They open it when they want to.
Can I make the book for them instead?
Yes, if you knew the dog well. Make it for €6.99 and send the private link; they can change every page.
Does it work when a cat or a rabbit has died?
Yes. They choose dog or cat, or type the kind of animal.
Will they see what I paid?
No. The recipient sees no price.
Make a book about a pet you miss.
Make one for your petDigital book €6.99, hardcover €29.99 on top, shipping included. You pay after the questions.