A pet dying leaves us just as lost and grief stricken as losing a family member. The house becomes so quiet it can be really upsetting.
And so much is left unsaid. It can happen suddenly. Maybe you made the decision to let them go and you’re still turning it over in your head. Either way there’s usually a lot you wish you could tell them.
Writing a goodbye letter to your pet is one way to get some of that out. It doesn’t have to be good writing and nobody else ever needs to read it. It’s just for you and for them.
So here you’ll find example letters for a dog, a cat and other pets, letters for different situations (after euthanasia, a sudden loss, a letter from a child) and short notes you can tuck in with them. Use them as they are, change the details or just read them until you find your own words. If you’d like more ways to work through it our pet loss grief journal prompts might help too.
Why Write a Goodbye Letter to Your Pet
Pets don’t get the same rituals people do. We don’t usually hold funerals for them, there aren’t any cards in the mail and definitely no day off work. A lot of people feel like they’re supposed to just get on with things.
A letter gives you a private way to mark what happened. You get to say thank you, say sorry if you need to and say goodbye properly.
It can also help with the parts of grief that go round and round in your head. Once something is written down, it often stops feeling quite so loud.
How to Write a Goodbye Letter to Your Pet
- Start with their name. “Dear Max” or “My sweet Daisy” or whatever nickname you called them. Use the silly one if that’s what they answered to.
- Remember how they came into your life. It may been from the shelter, the litter, the stray that never left etc. Beginnings are often easier to write than endings.
- Write down the small things. The way they snored, their favorite spot on the couch, the noise they made when you picked up the leash. These details are what make it theirs.
- Say thank you. For the company, for getting you out of bed, for being there through a hard year.
- Say what you need to say about the end. If you feel guilt or regret it’s okay to put it in the letter. Then try to let them forgive you the way they always did.
- Say goodbye in your own way. “Goodbye”, “See you later”, “Rest now” or just “I love you”. Whatever feels right.
Don’t worry about spelling or how long it is. Whatever helps you or feels right is all it needs to be.
Goodbye Letters to a Dog
Dear ______,
I keep looking for you by the front door. For [number] years you were there every single time I came home, tail going like crazy, as if I’d been gone a month instead of an hour.
Thank you for every walk you dragged me on, even the rainy ones I didn’t want to do. Thank you for sleeping at the end of my bed and for knowing when I’d had a bad day before I did.
I hope wherever you are there are endless tennis balls and nobody tells you to get off the couch.
I love you, buddy. I always will.
________
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Dear ______,
You were the best dog. I know everyone says that, but you really were.
You weren’t perfect. You ate a whole birthday cake once and you never did learn to stop barking at the mail carrier. But you loved us with everything you had, every day, without ever asking for much back.
The house is too quiet now. I still put my shoes on and reach for your leash out of habit. I don’t think that will stop for a while and I don’t really want it to.
Run free, sweet girl.
Love always,
________
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Dear ______,
When we brought you home from the shelter you were scared of everything. The vacuum, the stairs, men in hats. It took you months to trust us.
I hope you know how proud I was of you. You turned into the most gentle and loyal friend and you gave us so many good years.
Thank you for choosing us back.
Until we meet again,
________
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Dear ______,
You were with me through so much. The move, the new job, the breakup, the long nights when I couldn’t sleep. You were the one constant through all of it.
I don’t know how to do the next part without you. But I’ll try, because you taught me how to get up every morning and go outside even when I didn’t feel like it.
Thank you for being my best friend.
All my love,
________
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Dear ______,
My old friend. You were gray around the muzzle and slow on the stairs these last couple of years, but you still wagged when I said your name.
We had [number] years together. That’s a whole chapter of my life and you were in every page of it.
Rest now. You’ve earned it.
Love,
________
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For more ways to remember a dog out loud these eulogy examples for a dog can be read at a small backyard goodbye.
Goodbye Letters to a Cat
Cats do things on their own terms and a lot of cat owners find that’s what they miss most. These letters are a little quieter, the way cats often are.
Dear ______,
I didn’t realize how much of my day was built around you until you were gone. The bowl on the floor, the sunny spot on the windowsill, the weight of you on my legs every evening.
You made me earn your affection and that’s what made it feel so special when you gave it.
I hope you’ve found the warmest spot there is.
Love always,
________
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Dear ______,
You were never really “my” cat. I was your person, and you let me know it every morning at 5 a.m. when you wanted breakfast.
I’d give anything for one more of those mornings.
Thank you for the purring, the head bumps and for sitting on every piece of paperwork I ever tried to do. You were the best company.
Goodbye, little one.
________
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Dear ______,
You were with me for [number] years, longer than I’ve lived in any one house. You saw me through school, three apartments and more changes than I can count.
Through all of it you were the same. Calm, a little bit grumpy and always there when I needed you.
I’m so grateful I got to be your person.
Love,
________
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Dear ______,
When you showed up at the back door as a skinny stray, I said I’d feed you just once. You had other plans.
Thank you for deciding we were worth keeping. You turned a house into a home.
Sleep well, sweetheart.
________
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If you’re looking for something to read alongside your letter these eulogy examples for a cat work well for a small family goodbye.
Goodbye Letters to Other Pets
Grief for a horse, a rabbit or a bird is just as real as grief for a dog or cat, even if fewer people understand it. These are letters for a few other kinds of pets.
To a Horse
Dear ______,
The barn feels empty without you. I still catch myself listening for you at feeding time.
You carried me for so many miles and you were patient with me long before I knew what I was doing. Everything I know about trust, I learned from you.
Thank you for every ride, every early morning and every quiet minute brushing you down. Rest easy in the green fields.
Love always,
________
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To a Rabbit, Guinea Pig or Small Pet
Dear ______,
You were small, but you took up so much room in our hearts. I loved hearing you rustle around in the morning and the little happy noises you made when the veggies came out.
People sometimes don’t understand how much a small pet can mean. But you were family and we’ll miss you every day.
Goodbye, little friend.
________
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To a Bird
Dear ______,
It’s so quiet without your chatter. You filled the house with noise from the minute the sun came up and I never knew how much I’d miss it.
Thank you for the songs, the whistles and the funny things you picked up from us over the years. Fly free now.
Love,
________
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Goodbye Letters After Euthanasia
Choosing to let a pet go is one of the hardest decisions anyone can make. A lot if the time we feel guilty afterward, even when it was the kindest choice. A letter is a good place to put those feelings.
Dear ______,
I made the hardest decision of my life for you. I hope you understand that I did it because I loved you, not because I stopped.
You were tired and hurting and I couldn’t stand to watch you suffer any longer. I held you right until the end. I hope you knew I was there.
I’m sorry I couldn’t fix it. Thank you for trusting me, every day, right to the last one.
I love you always,
________
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Dear ______,
I keep asking myself if it was too soon or too late. I don’t think I’ll ever know for sure. What I do know is that you weren’t yourself anymore and I couldn’t let you be in pain.
Please forgive me for the part I had to play. I’d like to think you already have, because that’s the kind of friend you always were.
Rest now, no more hurting.
________
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Dear ______,
Our last day together was a good one. You had your favorite food, a slow walk in the sun and a long nap on my lap. I tried to make it as peaceful as I could.
Letting you go was the last kind thing I could do for you. It didn’t feel kind. But I hope it was.
Goodbye, my sweet friend.
________
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Goodbye Letters After a Sudden Loss
A pet dying without warning from an accident or an illness nobody saw coming means you don’t get to say goodbye. These letters say the things you didn’t get the chance to.
Dear ______,
This morning you were fine. You ate your breakfast and followed me around the kitchen like always. I never imagined it would be the last time.
I didn’t get to say goodbye properly, so I’m saying it now. You were loved so much. Every single day you were loved.
I’m sorry I wasn’t able to protect you. I’ll miss you forever.
________
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Dear ______,
I’m still in shock. You were too young and we were supposed to have so many more years.
I keep thinking of all the things we didn’t get to do. But I’m trying to focus on what we did have, because it was so good. You were a happy pet and you had a happy life, even if it was much too short.
Goodbye, sweetheart. I hope you’re running somewhere sunny.
________
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Goodbye Letters From a Child to Their Pet
Writing or drawing a goodbye can really help kids understand that their pet isn’t coming back. Younger children can tell you what to write while you get it down. Keep it simple and let it be in their words. Our guide on what to say to a child whose first pet died has more help for those conversations.
Dear ______,
You were my best friend. I liked it when you slept on my bed and when we played in the yard.
I’m sad you died. I’m going to miss you so much. I hope you have lots of treats where you are now.
Love from,
________
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Dear ______,
Thank you for being my dog/cat. You were the first pet I ever had and you were the best one.
I’m sorry you got sick. Mom/Dad said you aren’t hurting anymore and that makes me feel a little better.
I’ll never forget you.
Love,
________
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Dear ______,
I drew you a picture of us playing. I’ll keep it on my wall so I can see you every day.
I love you and I miss you.
________
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Letters to a Pet Long After They’re Gone
Some people write to their pet on the anniversary of their death, on their birthday or just on a day when they really miss them.
Dear ______,
It’s been a year today. I wanted you to know I still think about you all the time.
Some days I laugh about the things you used to do. Other days I still cry. I think both are okay.
There’s a new routine in the house now, but there will never be another you.
Love always,
________
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Dear ______,
We have a new puppy now. I worried for a long time that getting another dog would mean I was replacing you. It doesn’t. Nobody could.
I think you’d like her. She’s a bit of a troublemaker, just like you were.
I still miss you every day.
________
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Dear ______,
Today would have been your birthday. I bought your favorite treats anyway and gave them to the neighbor’s dog. I think you’d have approved.
Thank you for all the years. I’m still so glad you were mine.
Love,
________
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Short Goodbye Notes for Your Pet
Sometimes you only need a few words. These short notes work for a card on a grave or memorial stone, a note to go with their ashes or a tag on their favorite toy.
- Thank you for loving me every single day. Goodbye, my friend
- You were my sunshine. Rest easy now
- Run free, sweet girl. I’ll see you again someday
- The best dog in the whole world. We’ll miss you forever
- You were small but you filled our whole home
- Thank you for every walk, every cuddle and every wag
- Gone from my side but never from my heart
- Sleep well in the sunshine, my sweet kitty
- I’m so lucky I got to be your person
- No more pain now. Just peace, love and all the treats you want
- You waited for me at the door every day. Now it’s my turn to wait
- Thank you for choosing us. We’ll always choose you
- The house is too quiet without you
- Your paw prints are on my heart forever
- You were family, plain and simple
- Good boy. The best boy. Always
- For [number] wonderful years, thank you
- I’ll look for you in every sunny window
- I’m sorry it had to end. I’m so glad it happened
- Loved more than you ever knew
- Until we meet again at the Rainbow Bridge
- You made every day better just by being in it
- Rest now, old friend. You did so well
- I let you go because I loved you. I’ll love you always
- Thank you for the best years of my life
If you’d like something more permanent our pet memorial plaque wording has more short lines that work well engraved.
What to Do With Your Goodbye Letter
Once it’s written you can do whatever feels right with it. Here are a few ideas:
- Read it aloud at a small goodbye. If you’re burying your pet in the yard or scattering ashes the letter makes a lovely reading. Our guide on holding a pet funeral at home goes through the rest.
- Bury it with them. Fold it up and put it with their blanket or favorite toy.
- Keep it with their things. A memory box with their collar, tags and a few photos is a nice home for your letter.
- Tuck it in with their ashes. Many urns and keepsake boxes have room for a small folded note.
- Put it in a frame. Some people like to frame a short letter next to a favorite photo.
- Let it go. If the letter was mostly about guilt or regret safely burning it or tearing it up can feel like a release.
- Write another one. There’s no limit to how many you do. You might write one now and another in a year.
If writing your own words feels like too much right now then reading a few pet loss poems can be another way to say goodbye.
Losing a pet is losing a member of the family, whatever anyone else says.
I hope these letters gave you somewhere to start. Take your time with yours. They’d want you to remember the good days most of all.