CCPhotoist Loc: Cape Cod

She's beautiful. I'm so sorry for your loss.

Sylvias Loc: North Yorkshire England

So sorry to hear about your beautiful Nelly Mike, she will always be in your heart.

DavidThompson Loc: Asheville, NC

Some relationships transcend lifetimes. As an introvert who doesn’t have lots and lots of friends (it comes with being an introvert) God is compassionate and gave us the truest love and friendship possible - our pets. I used to bury our pets, then cremations become available. We have a nice cherry cabinet in our den and each ashes container is different and has the name and date engraved. We have the collar with tags next to each container. The size of each container is proportional to the pet’s size and many are wood and beautiful. Stupid as it may seem, we’ve ordered a simple little 8” tall angel with hands together like praying. When I stand there, the collars from 20 years ago and others are so personal and validates a lot of time together with memories of special times together. One time, when I was silently depressed, my family insisted that I take my favorite pictures and make an 11 x 14 book and it has been so therapeutic. Do it for yourself to validate that he or she really had a good life. My wife and I are both veterinarians and it is such an honor to be asked to help them leave. We have an outside entrance to our bereavement room with a big soft vinyl couch for people an pet, we have the owner give a gentle pre-medication orally prior to arrival. Thus, No anxiety about the iv injection and gently, peacefully gone. Family can stay with pet as long as desired and then walk out to car. There is no waiting room or payment transaction - too emotional - as our philosophy is that if your pet was our patient, we do not charge a fee (we do for the cremation but not if just taken home).
Remember, there are so many pet needing adoption. It is popular now to bypass puppyhood and house training, etc. Some great pets are relinquished to shelters because of a family’s financial situation or an owner forced to go into a retirement facility. One of our employees adopted a client’s pet because the elderly gentleman had to go to a retirement home and she would pick him up and go to a park so the two could reunite or in bad weather, just pick him up and all go to McDonalds and have lunch and Mitzi loved getting pieces of a plain burger from her “dad.” A very special young lady who went to nursing school and I know she’s great to her patients.
Good luck to everyone who has a loss.

RodeoMan Loc: St Joseph, Missouri

There have been some nice responses to this post. There is another consideration when those of us in the age category where we are already beyond the average life expectancy range and that is if we get another cat, dog, or whatever companion will we be able to care for it to its best needs in our dotage. Is it possible it will outlive us? If that happens, is there someone in position to continue to provide the kind of care we were providing? These are some tough questions that bring us eye to eye with our own mortality.
There are things we can do in remembrance for those companions who brought so much to our lives. These things we can do will usually involve time and money, the amount of which will vary from person to person, but we were spending both time and money when we had our animals. It doesn't take much to help, a few dollars to the shelter, a donation to a service animal organization, the list goes on.
When I see a photograph of a cute little girl like Nelly, it reminds me both of my little dog, Molly, who could have been her sister and a little stubbed -tail calico cat who was also named Nelly. Their memory now brings a smile, but it took awile for that to happen. Thank you so much for sharing your pictures and memories of Nelly.

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

A picture says it all...

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

So touching... 🎈🎈🎈