Losing a Pet: Final Rest

So many of my customers have lost dogs lately ... Life on the Leash has been swimming in tears. 

There are decisions to be made once a dog is gone, primarily, how do you take care of your dog in his final rest? We lived a rural life growing up, so our family dogs and cats ended up in grave sites on our property, marked by "important rocks" that my father found in his travels. (The most appropriate? A large Puddingstone on the grave site of our calico cat.) When my husband and I lost our first dog, Zeke the Boston Terrier, we had him cremated. We found the beautiful handmade urn pictured above during a trip to Maine and decided that it was worthy of our funny little man. He now watches us from a high shelf.

When we lost Sumner we again opted for cremation. When we picked him up (oh, what a sad errand), they gave us a small plaster impression that they took of his paw, a thoughtful but tear-inducing gesture. Sumner sits beside Zeke on the shelf in an elegant carved wood box, watching the shenanigans of our new canine family members.

I like having them close. Sometimes I place my hand on the urn and the box and say hello and thank them for their years with us. I'm not sure if I'd be as comfortable having them buried outside, but that's just me. I understand that some people like the idea of their dog forever resting in a familiar spot in the yard.

What decision did you make when you lost your pet? Are you comfortable with your decision, or do you wish you had opted for something else?