A poem of remembrance for your pet

Many of us have known the heartache of losing a pet. With the passing of time though, this feeling recedes and we are able to once again feel the joy and blessings that our animal friend has brought into our life.

Walk with the Wind, a memorial poem written and read by Best Friends co-founder Sharon St. Joan, may give you peace as you remember your pet.

It’s so hard to say goodbye to our faithful animal companions, but when you’re ready, we offer a number of meaningful ways to help honor a special pet.

Remember your pet with a memorial

Whether you're creating a memorial page for your own pet or on behalf of a grieving loved one, you’ll be able to easily share your online tribute, including on social media.

Visitors will have the option to post their own comments and words of encouragement. You can also leave a virtual token of remembrance on other memorial tribute pages as a symbol of your sympathy and support.

When you create a memorial, you ensure your pet will also be remembered in our monthly blessing that takes place at Angels Rest here at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. These ceremonies celebrate and pay tribute to the special animals who remain forever in our hearts.

Create a Memorial

Join us in our monthly blessings

Our monthly blessing ceremonies are a wonderful way to remember and celebrate special pets who are gone from our lives but not from our hearts.

Blessings provide a way for people of all creeds and backgrounds to commemorate the lives of special pets and find healing alongside those who understand and value these extraordinary bonds.

You can view past Blessings here.

Pay tribute to your pet

Here at our sanctuary, thousands of wind chimes ring in remembrance of beloved pets, and memorial markers pay tribute to the love we hold for our dogs, cats and other companions.

If you’d like to remember your pet, or the pet of a loved one, these memorials can be sent to you or placed at our Sanctuary – one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

Coping with pet loss

Grief over the passing of a pet is very real, but when you’re ready, there are paths to healing that can help you cope with the grief and sadness.

Remembering and sharing are a part of the grieving process. To share memories and photos of your pet, create a memorial page. If you’re not ready to create a page, you can help homeless pets waiting to live their best lives with a gift in memory of your special pet.

About Best Friends

Here at Best Friends, home to the largest no-kill animal sanctuary in the country, we know that grief can arrive when we least expect it. But so too do the hope and healing that come from remembering those we love.

Best Friends is home to the country’s largest no-kill animal sanctuary, and we understand the special place that pets have in our lives.

Angels Rest is a serene place of remembrance at the heart of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary where hundreds of wind chimes ring in memory of beloved pets, carried on the soft breezes of Angel Canyon. It’s where memorial stones — with their touching tributes and keepsakes — pay tribute to the love we hold for our dogs, cats, and other companions.

We’re working to bring love home for dogs and cats all across the country, giving homeless pets the chance to live their best lives — and you can make a tremendous difference. Together, we will bring the whole country to no-kill in 2025. Together, we will Save Them All.