Pet Funeral Order of Service: 4 Simple Templates

Updated November 4, 2026

A pet funeral order of service is simply the list of what happens, in what order. The most common shape is: gathering, welcome, a reading, your pet's story, memories from others, a moment of quiet, a symbolic goodbye, and closing words. It usually takes 10 to 30 minutes.

Below are four templates you can copy, plus a sample printed program. None of them is an official rite of any church or faith. They are family gatherings, and you can cut, swap or reorder any step. Funeralwise, a funeral planning resource, puts it plainly: when you design a pet funeral, "anything goes."

Before you choose a template

Ask three questions:

1. Where will it be? In the yard at a grave, inside around a photo, at a park, or online.
2. Who is coming? Small children and older relatives do better with 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Will faith be part of it? Some families want Scripture and prayer, some want none, and many want a little of both because the family is mixed. Each template below marks where a reading can go.

Template 1: A short graveside goodbye (about 10 minutes)

For a backyard burial or a visit to a pet cemetery. Have the grave ready before people arrive.

Template 2: A small service at home (about 15 minutes)

For a living room, a porch, or after the ashes come home. Set a small table with a photo, a candle and something your pet used every day.

1. Welcome. "Thank you for being here. We've come together to remember [Name] and say goodbye."
2. [Name]'s story. How your pet came home, what an ordinary day looked like, and one thing nobody else would know.
3. A reading. A poem, a passage, or a letter you wrote. See readings for a non-religious pet funeral.
4. Stories from everyone. Go around once. Anyone can pass.
5. A quiet moment. Light the candle. "Let's take a quiet moment, each in our own way."
6. Saying goodbye. "Thank you for coming, and for caring about [Name]."

Template 3: A celebration of life (about 20 minutes)

For a pet with a big personality and a crowd of people who loved them. Ohio State's veterinary medical center lists a celebration of life among the ways families honor a pet, and Purdue's veterinary hospital suggests a farewell event "with perhaps a toast to your pet."

1. Music as people arrive. A song that played in your house, or nothing at all.
2. Welcome. "We're here to celebrate [Name]'s life, and how much better it made ours."
3. The life they had. A longer story, maybe with photos passed around or on a screen.
4. What people remember. Invite the funny stories. Laughter is welcome here.
5. A toast. Raise whatever is in your glass. "To [Name]."
6. A quiet moment. A short pause after the toast settles the room.
7. Closing. "Thank you for spending this time with us. We'll always have the good days."

Template 4: A Christian family service (about 15 to 20 minutes)

For families who want Scripture and prayer. This follows the loose shape many Protestant families know from church: a hymn, a reading, remembering, prayer, and a parting hymn. It isn't a rite of any church. If your church offers something, ask your pastor. The Episcopal Church, for example, made a "Service at the Loss of a Beloved Animal" available in 2012, and the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut lists it with "No Bishop Permission Required."

1. Gathering and a hymn. Sing or play a hymn your family knows.
2. Opening prayer. In your own words, thanking God for your pet's life.
3. Psalm 23 (King James Version). "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters."
4. Remembering a life. Stories from the family.
5. Prayer together. For everyone who is grieving. Close with the Lord's Prayer in the words you know.
6. Laying a flower.
7. A closing hymn and parting words. Psalm 145:9 is a good parting line: "The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works."

More verses and original prayers are in Christian prayers for a pet. For Catholic, Jewish and Buddhist families, see our guides on Catholic prayers for a pet, Jewish traditions when a pet dies and a Buddhist pet memorial.

A sample printed program

Print this on a half sheet or a folded card. Put a photo on the front.

In loving memory of [Name] [Year] to [Year]

Welcome ......... [Who] [Name]'s story ......... [Who] A reading ......... [Title], read by [Who] Memories from all of us A moment of quiet Laying flowers Closing words ......... [Who]

Thank you for being here today.

On the back, some families print a short line for the stone or a favorite photo. Our pet headstone sayings guide has short lines that also work on a program.

Roles you can hand out

Spreading small jobs around makes it easier for everyone.

• Leader: says the opening and closing words and keeps the order moving.
• Storyteller: tells your pet's story. Often a different person from the leader.
• Reader: reads the poem or passage.
• Candle or flowers: a good job for a child, with an adult close by.
• Camera person: holds the phone for anyone joining by video.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Too many speakers. Five people each talking for five minutes is nearly half an hour. Ask for "one memory each."
• No ending. Without a clear close, people stand around unsure if it's over. Always end with a line like "Thank you for being here."
• Saving the hard part for last. If there is a burial, consider doing it in the middle, then ending with stories and a toast.
• Forgetting the person who can't come. Prop up a phone for a video call, or hold the whole thing online. See online pet funerals.

If you'd like to hold any of these orders with family who live far away, Bridgeside offers free online funerals with orders like these built in, so the host can move through the steps while everyone else simply attends.