Lars Andersen with 3D printed sculptures of pets.
The national day of remembrance is the inspiration of Arty Lobster (www.artylobster.com), a company that specializes in 3D pet sculptures, and Pets Magazine, the leading lifestyle magazine for pet owners.
National Pet Remembrance Day (Sunday, July 5), which launches on social media under the hashtag #PetRemembranceDay, has been set up to provide an opportunity for people to celebrate the lives of departed pets and the increasing number of ways in which to commemorate them.
A Twitter chat will take place on Sunday July 5 using the hashtag #PetRemembranceDay for people to show their support and share thoughts and photos.
In addition, people can nominate pet owners who have lost their beloved companion animal to have the pet commemorated as a 3D sculpture. Please post your suggestions on either the Arty Lobster or Pets Magazine Facebook pages.
We’ve come up with several ways in which people can remember deceased pets on National Pet Remembrance Day, including:
- A memorial service in a place where the pet liked to walk or play.
- A memento mori such as a sculpture of the pet
- A living memorial by planting a tree or flowerbed
- A pet portrait featuring the pet or their image printed on a coaster or other accessory
- A scrapbook with photos and other reminders of the pet.
- An online memorial with photos of the pet
- A poem about the pet
Other ideas include:
- Keeping the pet’s favorite toy, collar or blanket
- Volunteering at an animal rescue centre in remembrance of the pet
Lars Andersen, Managing Director of Arty Lobster, said: “We’ve launched National Pet Remembrance Day with Pets Magazine because we wanted to create a space for people to remember their departed companion animal. While it’s now accepted and acceptable to grieve for a much-loved family pet, we still, as a country, do not really know how to remember our pets and to deal with their loss.
“Pets are increasingly regarded as members of our family, and basically we do not remember them as we should. Pet cremations in the UK are still a slowly growing market and pet memorials tend to be very ‘samey’ with the best you can hope for being an urn featuring the pet’s name.”
Mr Andersen added: “A growing part of our customer base is served by people looking for that lasting memento mori of their pet. People want to have a good send off for their pet, which is most usually their dog or cat companion. They also want ways of remembering their pet and its quirks and character traits and the importance it played in their lives and the life of the family.”
Marie Carter, Editor of Pets Magazine, said: “Grieving for a pet is gradually becoming widely accepted, and acceptable, but many people still don’t understand that for many pet owners, dogs and cats in particular, are now regarded as family members. There is a real need to recognise that, and for relatives, friends and employers to take into account the real, and often overwhelming, sense of grief that a pet owner can feel upon the death of a beloved companion animal. Arty Lobster’s pet sculptures are a wonderful way for pet owners to remember a deceased pet.”
For more information about 3D pet sculptures, visit the Arty Lobster website at: www.artylobster.com.
I think this is a great idea and I will be happy to lend the support of the non-profit pet loss support resource, The Ralph Site, in spreading the word.