69 Comforting Pet Loss Quotes to Help You Grieve Your Furry Friend
Updated: Mar. 31, 2024
Anyone who's ever loved a pet knows how hard it is to lose one. These pet loss quotes will help you or someone else grieve and remember your furry best friend.
Moving pet loss quotes
If you’ve ever loved an animal and grieved its passing, then you know a hard truth: Our beloved pets’ lives are entirely too short. Losing a pet is an inevitability of loving a pet. And while time can make grief easier to manage, no amount of pet loss quotes will erase the pain completely—the loss of a pet stays with us, even years afterward. In fact, a 2021 survey by Veterinarians.org found that nearly 70% of people felt that losing a pet, in some cases, was more difficult than the loss of a human loved one.
As someone who’s gone through the recent, unexpected death of a pet, I get it. But while they won’t wipe away the pain, pet loss quotes can really tug at the heartstrings, and dog quotes take on more meaning after a loss. They also offer comfort and sweet reminders of the love our whole family shared with our dog, Elsa. In her honor, and in honor of all of those other furry and feathered family members who’ve crossed the rainbow bridge, consider these comforting pet loss quotes, either to help you deal with your own loss or when you’re wondering what to say when someone loses a pet.
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Comforting pet loss quotes
Let these comforting words for the loss of a pet help you and yours reflect on just how much your pet meant and all the ways it changed your life for the better. Many of them are speaking about dogs (they are man’s best friend), but really, they can apply to all of our beloved animal companions.
1. “I thank the Lord that there is one thing in this world that money can’t buy, and that is the wag of a dog’s tail.” —Josh Billings
2. “Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet.” —Colette
3. “If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.” —James Herriot
4. “Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day.” —John Grogan
5. “The love of a dog is a pure thing. He gives you a trust which is total. You must not betray it.” —Michel Houellebecq
6. “You can usually tell that a man is good if he has a dog who loves him.” —W. Bruce Cameron
7. “Before you get a dog, you can’t quite imagine what living with one might be like; afterward, you can’t imagine living any other way.” —Caroline Knapp
8. “Petting, scratching and cuddling a dog could be as soothing to the mind and heart as deep meditation and almost as good for the soul as prayer.” —Dean Koontz
9. “Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.” —Roger Caras
10. “Honor your grief and the pain you feel when you lose a beloved pet. It is the first step toward healing.” —Karen A. Anderson
11. “Having a pet is a risk—you always have the grief ahead. But that’s the flip side of love.” —Unknown
12. “I loved you your whole life. I’ll miss you for the rest of mine.” —Unknown
13. “When we think of those companions who traveled by our side down life’s road, let us not say with sadness that they left us behind but rather say with gentle gratitude that they once were with us.” —Unknown
14. “Companion, friend and confidante, a friend I won’t forget. You’ll live forever in my heart, my sweet forever pet.” —Susanne Taylor
15. “Your place I’ll hold, you will be missed, the fur I stroked, the nose I kissed. And as you journey to your final rest, take with you this … I loved you best.” —Jim Willis
Loss of a dog quotes
Whether you’ve shared years with a canine companion or even just a few (too short) months, their loss is likely to leave you feeling brokenhearted. Try these comforting dog loss quotes to remind you or a loved one of just how special dogs are to us.
16. “When you adopt a dog, you have a lot of very good days and one very bad day.” —W. Bruce Cameron
17. “Dogs’ lives are too short. Their only fault, really.” —Agnes Sligh Turnbull
18. “If you have a dog, you will most likely outlive it; to get a dog is to open yourself to profound joy and, prospectively, to equally profound sadness.” —Marjorie Garber
19. “Dogs die. But dogs live too. Right up until they die, they live. They live brave, beautiful lives. They protect their families. And love us. And make our lives a little brighter. And they don’t waste time being afraid of tomorrow.” —Dan Gemeinhart
20. “Everyone thinks that their dog is the best dog in the world. And none of them are wrong.” —W.R. Pursche
21. “There is nothing truer in this world than the love of a good dog.” —Mira Grant
22. “No one can fully understand the meaning of love unless he’s owned a dog.” —Gene Hill
23. “Dogs leave pawprints on our hearts.” —Unknown
24. “Once you have had a wonderful dog, a life without one is a life diminished.” —Dean Koontz
25. “If the kindest souls were rewarded with the longest lives, dogs would outlive us all.” —Unknown
26. “No matter how little money and how few possessions you own, having a dog makes you rich.” —Louis Sabin
27. “Dogs have a way of finding the people who need them and filling an emptiness we didn’t ever know we had.” —Thom Jones
28. “The bond with a dog is as lasting as the ties of this earth can ever be.” —Konrad Lorenz
29. “I believe that dogs are sent to us to open our hearts.” —Tamar Geller
Dog heaven quotes
For those of us who believe in an afterlife, it’s comforting to imagine it as a place where we’ll be reunited with all our pets. Many people think of “dog heaven” as a place connected to earth by the rainbow bridge, based on a poem of the same name by Edna Clyne-Rekhy. Read on for some dog-death quotes (including a couple about the rainbow bridge) to help you find hope in this tough time.
30. “We need to go first because we cannot live without your love and care. If we lived longer than you, we would not and could not survive. It’s supposed to be this way. We also need to cross the rainbow bridge before you do so that we can be on the other side to greet you when you get there. We wait at home for you here, and we wait at home for you there. It’s just the way it is.” —Kate McGahan
31. “With all of my heart, I believe it is true that there is a heaven for animals too. Sometimes I think they already know, all of the animals … just where they’ll go.” —Nancy Tillman
32. “You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us.” —Robert Louis Stevenson
33. “The dog is a gentleman; I hope to go to his heaven not man’s.” —Mark Twain
34. “Dogs, [Milan] Kundera says, are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring—it was peace.” —Anne Raver
35. “I can’t imagine God not allowing my dog into heaven.” —Rick Warren
36. “If there is a heaven, it’s certain our animals are to be there. Their lives become so interwoven with our own, it would take more than an archangel to detangle them.” —Pam Brown
37. “We are our pet’s heaven, and just because their physical body is no longer alive, it doesn’t mean their soul loves us any less. We are loved from beyond and always will be.” —Lyn Ragan
38. “I heard somebody define heaven once as a place where, when you get there, all the dogs you ever loved run to greet you.” —Robert B. Parker
39. “God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe he’ll be there.” —Billy Graham
40. “It came to me that every time I lose a dog, they take a piece of my heart with them, and every new dog that comes into my life gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough, all of the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and as loving as they are.” —Anonymous
41. “Dogs come into our lives to teach us about love and loyalty. They depart to teach us about loss. We try to replace them but never quite succeed. A new dog never replaces an old dog; it merely expands the heart. If you have loved many dogs, your heart is very big.” —Erica Jong
42. “Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.” —Edna Clyne-Rekhy
43. “All dogs go to heaven because, unlike people, dogs are naturally good and loyal and kind.” – Melba Moore
Loss of cat quotes
Our loyal companions, cats always seem to know when we need their comforting purrs and cuddles or their quiet presence. No wonder we feel their absence so painfully. If you’re feeling sad over the loss of a dear feline friend, these pet loss quotes will help you remember why your whiskered pal was so special.
44. “What greater gift than the love of a cat.” —Charles Dickens
45. “My story will be over soon. But it’s not something to be sad about. Remembering those who went ahead. Remembering those who will follow after. And someday, we will meet all those people again, out beyond the horizon.” ―Hiro Arikawa
46. “No amount of time can erase the memory of a good cat, and no amount of masking tape can ever totally remove his fur from your couch.” —Leo Dworken
47. “A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.” —Ernest Hemingway
48. “To make heaven the perfect resting place for loved ones we adore, God made sure those Pearly Gates contained a kitty door.” —Unknown
49. “There are few things in life more heartwarming than to be welcomed by a cat.” —Tay Hohoff
50. “I can say with sincerity that I love cats; furthermore, I am going to give very good reasons why those who hate them are wrong.” —Emily Brontë
51. “Farewell is never forever. Though your precious cat isn’t on earth, their soul is forever connected to yours.” —Unknown
52. “Though your beloved cat is gone, remember them with a smile. That ring you hear in your ear is a gentle purr to remind you your souls are forever connected.” —Unknown
53. “Heaven will never be paradise unless my cats are there waiting for me.” —Unknown
54. “I have felt cats rubbing their faces against mine and touching my cheek with claws carefully sheathed. These things, to me, are expressions of love.” —James Herriot
55. “Cats are intended to teach us that not everything in nature has a purpose.” —Garrison Keillor
56. “If you don’t mourn a dead cat properly, you’ll never get over it.” —Hiro Arikawa
57. “One day all of the cats we ever loved will come running towards us, and that day will be a good day.” —Unknown
Memorial quotes for pets
Writers, artists and countless others have penned endearing tributes to pets and to all members of the animal kingdom. If you’re sending a sympathy card or condolence message to someone who’s lost their companion animal, consider writing pet loss quotes and poems inside.
58. “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” —Anatole France
59. “It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them.” —Josh Grogan
60. “The whole glorious history of animals with people is about joy and connection. It’s about loving this creature and letting this creature love you.” —Jon Katz
61. “We should never underestimate the powerful draw of a bond with a being that loves us unconditionally, asking very little in return. Losing this comfort and source of joy can be incomprehensible.” —Linda Lipshutz
62. “Your favorite chair is empty now, where you would lie and sleep. But the memory of our happy times is mine to always keep.” —Unknown
63. “Animals have a much better attitude to life and death than we do. They know when their time has come. We are the ones that suffer when they pass, but it’s a healing kind of grief that enables us to deal with other griefs that are not so easy to grab hold of.” —Emmylou Harris
64. “Pets are humanizing. They remind us we have an obligation and responsibility to preserve and nurture and care for all life.” —James Cromwell
65. “When we think of those companions who traveled by our side down life’s road, let us not say with sadness that they left us behind but rather say with gentle gratitude that they once were with us.” —Unknown
66. “When tomorrow starts without me, don’t think we’re far apart. For every time you think of me, I’m right here in your heart.” —Unknown
67. “How lucky I am to have known someone and something that saying goodbye is so damned awful.” —Marilyn Hassett in The Other Side of the Mountain
68. “The littlest feet make the biggest footprints in our hearts.” —Unknown
69. “My heart will always wear the pawprints left by you.” —Unknown
Source:Â
- Veterinarians.org: “Loss of a pet”
Originally Published: December 21, 2023
