What to write in a pet sympathy card

Write three things: the pet's name, one true thing you remember about them, and a plain line of sympathy. Two or three handwritten sentences are enough. Then sign your own name.

A simple shape for the message

1. Use the pet's name. "Bella" means more than "your dog". If you know a nickname, even better.
2. Say one true thing. Something you saw or knew: how she met you at the door, how he sat on the same step every evening. One detail is worth more than a paragraph of general comfort.
3. Name the loss plainly. "I am so sorry she is gone." You do not need to explain it, soften it or find a bright side.
4. Sign it yourself. A printed card with a handwritten line and a real signature is the whole point.

Messages for a friend, neighbor or relative

• "I am so sorry about Max. He was the best part of walking past your house."
• "Thinking of you and missing Daisy with you. Fourteen years of being loved like that is a good life."
• "There will never be another Oliver. I am glad I got to know him."
• "No words, just love. I am here when you want to talk about her."

Messages from a veterinary clinic

A card from the clinic matters because you knew the animal too. Have the people who cared for the pet sign it, by first name.

• "We are so sorry about Cooper. He was a favorite here from his first puppy visit, and we will miss him."
• "Thinking of your family as you miss Luna. It was a privilege to care for her."
• "Sasha was so loved, and it showed every time you brought her in."

After euthanasia, many families are still turning the decision over. One gentle line helps:

• "You gave Buddy a peaceful goodbye, and you were with him. That was a kindness."
• "Choosing to let her go was an act of love. We saw how much you cared for her."

Send it in the first few days, and send it on its own. Never put it in the same envelope as an invoice.

Leave these out of a clinic's card: medical details, anything about the bill, and any sentence that begins "if only".

What to leave out, whoever you are

• "At least ..." in any form. "At least he had a long life" is true and still does not help.
• "You can always get another one."
• Comparisons with other losses.
• Religious wording, unless you know it will be welcome.
• Advice. A sympathy card is not the place for it.

Pairing your words with a printed card

Choose a card whose printed message you would say out loud, then add a line of your own under it. Three from our pet sympathy cards, with a line you might add:

• Printed: "Their love and companionship will never be forgotten." Your line: "Neither will the way Scout greeted the mail carrier."
• Printed: "It is no small thing to say goodbye to a special pet." Your line: "We are thinking of you this week."
• Printed: "May happy memories comfort you at this time of loss." Your line: "We have a few of our own. He was a wonderful dog."

Questions

How long should the message be?

Two or three sentences. A short note that sounds like you is better than a long one that does not.

Is it too late to send a card?

No. A card that arrives weeks later tells the person you are still thinking of them, after most people have stopped asking.

Should I mention how the pet died?

You do not need to. Write about the pet's life and about the person you are writing to.

What if I never met the pet?

Write to the person. "I know how much Milo meant to you, and I am so sorry."

Pet sympathy cards · Cards for veterinary clinics · Wholesale for clinics and shops