9 Ways to Stay Connected After Losing a Beloved Pet
Losing a beloved animal creates a uniquely painful kind of grief. They were by your side nearly every day for years, possibly decades. And when they’re gone, the absence can feel unbearable. But even in grief, your connection to them doesn’t have to end, and rituals give your love a place to go. They create space for meaning, for presence, and for healing.
Research from Harvard Business School (Norton & Gino, 2014) shows that rituals, whether private or shared, help reduce grief by restoring a sense of control. Even when people don’t consciously “believe” in the rituals they performed, the act of doing something still brings comfort. And the best part is that rituals don’t need to be complex or drawn out. Small, simple activities can help you feel more connected every single day, even in the midst of loss.
If you’re looking for more support like this, you’re invited to explore our on-demand grief support resources. The With You Still collection includes gift boxes to engage your senses, guided meditations, somatic tools, and gentle offerings to walk with you in your grief—like heartfelt, downloadable guides you can keep nearby for support. Click here to explore.
9 Ways to Keep Your Bond Alive
Write a Heartfelt Letter: Tell them about your day, what you miss, and the ways they’ve shaped you. Writing can help your heart speak what’s hard to say aloud.
Visualize Their Presence: Close your eyes and imagine them sitting beside you or doing your favorite activity together. Notice their warmth, their scent, their joyful energy. Let yourself feel them there.
Record the Memories: Use the notes app on your phone to write down memories or funny things about your beloved’s personality every time you think of them. Return to it any time you need to connect to their presence.
Build an Altar: Create a small shelf with their photo, collar, favorite toy, candle, or a special stone. Add offerings during special times. Reserve this space just for them and visit it as often as you need.
Look for Signs: Notice the hummingbird outside your window, a feather on your walk, or the way a song shows up at the perfect time. Stay open to the possibility of connection.
Do What They Loved: Take a walk on their favorite trail. Sit in the sunny spot they loved. It’s a way of saying, “If I can’t live with you, I will live for you.”
Engage Your Senses: Listen to the sound of their tags jingling, smell their favorite blanket, or hold their leash in your hand. Sensory memory is powerful.
Give in Their Honor: Volunteer, foster, or donate to a rescue in their name. Your love for them multiplies when you pass it on.
Speak Their Name: Speak it often — in stories, in quiet moments, in conversation. It keeps their spirit alive.
Each ritual can gently ease grief, not by bypassing it, but by creating presence, meaning, and compassion in your everyday life.
The Science Behind Rituals
In a series of studies, researchers Michael Norton and Francesca Gino (2014) found that rituals consistently helped people feel more grounded in the wake of grief. Whether participants had recently experienced the death of a loved one, a breakup, or even the loss of a lottery ticket, rituals brought emotional relief. This wasn’t about belief, it was about action.
Rituals give us something to do when there’s nothing else we can do. That’s what makes them so powerful in grief.
You are Not Alone in Your Grief
When you’re ready, I invite you to explore With You Still: resources for those grieving the loss of a beloved animal. There is something for everyone: from grief gift boxes to guided activities, downloadable PDFs to small group grief circles.
You are not alone, and you are always welcome here. Explore grief support resources here.
Resources:
Norton, M. I., & Gino, F. (2014). Rituals alleviate grieving for loved ones, lovers, and lotteries. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 143(1), 266–272. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031772
