- 30pages
- 120original sympathy messages to choose from
- 3filled-in examples (pet obituaries and a thank-you)
- 8scripts, layouts and notes to adapt
- 10tables and worksheets
- 7checkboxes
How we check
Verified, page by page
- 108automatic checks run on the site before every update
- 2official .gov pages read and cited, on October 30, 2026
Reviewed by industry professionals.
- Primary sourcesThis guide is built from the guidance of the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Copyright Office.
- Every fact has its sourceEach guide lists the pages it relies on, with links, so you can check any point yourself.
- DatedSources read on October 30, 2026; each page shows when it was last updated.
What you will be able to do
- Write a card, a text or a comment for the loss of a dog, a cat or a horse, with the name, one true detail and a line for the owner, and know which words tend to hurt.
- Pick a message for the exact situation: an old animal after a long life, a sudden loss, an owner who chose euthanasia and feels guilty, a child whose pet died, a handler whose service or working dog died.
- Hold a small memorial at home, outdoors or around the table, with a script that gives everyone, children included, one thing to do, and readings to choose from.
- Word a memorial stone, an urn or a plaque, with three layouts, short lines to choose from and a character grid to check each line against the maker's limit.
- Tell people once, with a short pet obituary and a text for the first day, and thank the veterinary team with a note that names the moment you are grateful for.
- Keep the memories and close the loose ends, with a memories page, a memorial plan and a list of people and services to tell.
Who it is for, and who it is not for
For you if you want to write something better than "sorry for your loss" for a friend whose animal has died, or if your own animal has died and you want to mark it with the family.
Not for you if you need a few lines for one card today: our free page of sympathy messages for the loss of a pet has short examples by animal. And if you would rather have your own message written from what you tell us, the personalized sympathy message on TributePen does that.
What makes it different
Lists of pet sympathy quotes are easy to find; messages that fit a precise situation are not. The hard cases (a decision to euthanize, a sudden death, a child's first loss, a service dog that was also daily help) are the ones where people hesitate most. This planner gives fifteen messages for each, with a note on when each one fits, then turns to the family: the memorial, the stone, the obituary, the thank-you and the practical list, in one place.
The complete table of contents
The real table of contents of the guide, with its page numbers.
- Before you writep. 5What a pet sympathy message does · Words that tend to hurt · Card, text, comment or call · How to use the 120 messages
- Messages by animalp. 7For a dog · For a cat · For a horse
- Messages by situationp. 10Old age, after a long life · A sudden loss · After a decision to euthanize
- For a child’s pet, and for a working animalp. 13A child’s pet · A service or working animal · Signing off
- A small memorial at homep. 16Where and when · Who does what · Readings · Older readings you can print
- Words for a memorial stone or an urnp. 19What usually goes on it · Layouts · Short lines for a stone or an urn · Counting each line · The character grid
- A short pet obituaryp. 22What to put in it · Telling people
- A thank-you note for the veterinary teamp. 24What to put in it
- When the grief is heavyp. 26Small things that help
- Worksheets to printp. 27Memories page · Other memories · Memorial plan · People to tell · Cards to answer · Before you put things away
- Sourcesp. 30
A look inside: real pages of the guide
In pictures
Illustrative photos, published by their authors under free licences.
The planner for the death of a dog, a cat, a horse or another companion: 120 original sympathy messages sorted by animal and by situation (old age, sudden loss, a decision to euthanize, a child's pet, a service or working animal), each with a note on when it fits, a home memorial script with readings, wording and a character grid for a memorial stone or an urn, a short pet obituary, a thank-you note for the veterinary team and worksheets to print.
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Common questions
Are the 120 messages original?
Yes. They were written for the planner, about invented animals, and numbered so a family or a team signing one card can choose together. Each one ends with a short note on when it fits, such as a coworker, a child, a text in the first hours or an owner who feels guilty after euthanasia.
Which situations do the messages cover?
Fifteen messages each for a dog, a cat, a horse, an animal who died of old age, a sudden loss, a decision to euthanize, a child's pet and a service or working animal, from a guide dog to a farm cat. A table of sign-offs completes them.
Does it help if my own pet has died?
Yes, that is the second half of the planner: a fifteen-minute memorial at home with a script and readings, short lines and layouts for a garden stone, an urn plate or a horse's marker, a pet obituary to fill in, a thank-you note for the veterinary team, and a memories page, a memorial plan and a list of people to tell.
Does it give advice on euthanasia, cremation or burial?
No. It is not veterinary or legal advice and recommends no clinic, cremation service or engraver. It gives the words, and the questions to ask: for example, rules on burying an animal at home are local, so the plan tells you to ask your city or county.
Can I print the readings?
The readings written for the planner can be printed for your memorial. The older readings listed (two King James verses, lines from Byron and Thomas Hardy) were published before 1931, the date before which the U.S. Copyright Office says works published in the United States are in the public domain.
Sources cited in the guide
- Cleary M., West S., Thapa D. K., Westman M., Vesk K., Kornhaber R. (2022). Grieving the loss of a pet: A qualitative systematic review. Death Studies, 46(9), 2167-2178.
- U.S. Department of Justice, ADA.gov, "ADA Requirements: Service Animals" (last updated February 28, 2020), read on October 30, 2026.
- U.S. Copyright Office, Circular 15A "Duration of Copyright" (revised April 2026), read on October 30, 2026.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 988lifeline.org, read on October 22, 2026.