Pet Loss Poems
Pet loss poems are short pieces of writing meant to be read in the hours and days after a pet dies, often at a backyard burial, a memorial gathering, or in private. The collection below is Rainbow Memorial's own. Each poem is meant for a different moment in the loss. Read whichever ones meet you where you are.
For the night they died
The bowl is in the wrong place. The bed still has the shape of them in it. The door is wider than it should be.
You don't have to do anything tonight. You don't have to put anything away. Sit, if sitting is what you can do. Cry, when crying comes.
For when their things are still here
The leash is by the door, in the place where you would look for it. In the place where you would wait, if you were here to wait.
The bed is still on the floor. It still smells like you.
There is a place in my hand where your head used to rest. I have not put that away either.
For an old pet who lived a long life
You were old at the end. Old in your eyes, old in your bones, slow on the stairs you used to take three at a time.
But you were not old to me. You were the one I brought home. You were the one who slept at my feet in every house I have lived in since.
The old body went. The one you were did not.
For when you had to make the choice
You looked at me at the end. You did not know what was coming.
I knew. I held you. I told you the truth, which was that I loved you, and the lie, which was that everything was okay.
I am still telling you that I loved you.
This poem is for people who had to make the euthanasia decision. If that's you, it was an act of love. You don't owe an explanation to anyone, including yourself.
For a pet who didn't get to grow old
You were not here for long. You were the one you were going to be.
The walks we never took. The years we should have had. I hold those, too, the same way I hold you.
When you want a longer poem
If you came looking for the Rainbow Bridge poem — the one about the meadow where pets wait for their people — that has been a part of pet grief since 1959. Read the Rainbow Bridge tradition here, or the version for dogs specifically.
If your pet was a dog and you'd like more poems written specifically for a dog's passing, there's a longer collection here.
A place for them
You can make a page for your pet and put any of these poems on it. A photo, their name, the years they were with you, and the poem that meets the moment. The page has a permanent address. It stays up.
A year from now, on the day you lost them, an email will arrive so you don't have to remember the date alone.
About these poems
The poems above are Rainbow Memorial's own, written by Hannah Wright. They are free for you to print, share, read at a service, or include in a memorial. You don't need to credit anyone. They were written for you.
For longer reading on pet grief, Wallace Sife's Loss of a Pet, published by the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement, is the standard reference and has been since the 1990s.
Questions people sometimes ask
Can I use these poems at a funeral or memorial? Yes. They are free to use — printed, read aloud, included in a program, shared online. You don't need permission.
Are these poems religious? No. They are written for anyone, regardless of faith. Religious and non-religious readers both find them useful.
Why are these poems short? Grief makes long reading hard. Short poems can be read in the time it takes to make tea, or before you fall asleep, or in the parking lot of the vet on the way home. They are sized for the day you're having.
Who wrote these? Hannah Wright wrote them for Rainbow Memorial. They are original and not adapted from any other source.
Can I write my own poem and put it on a memorial page? Yes. The memorial page lets you write whatever you want alongside your pet's photo and name. Many people write their own and include one of these too.