What to Say at a Pet Funeral: Words and Examples

Updated November 4, 2026

At a pet funeral, say your pet's name, how they came into your life, a few things they did that were completely them, and what you will miss. Close by thanking them and the people who came. One to three minutes is plenty, and reading from a card is perfectly fine.

You don't need to be eloquent. The things people remember from pet funerals are small and specific: the way the dog leaned on your legs, the cat who sat on every open book, the parakeet who rang the bell when the garage door opened. Details carry the love.

Opening words

The person leading can use one of these, or make their own:

• "Thank you for being here. We're here to remember [Name] and to say goodbye."
• "We've come together because [Name] mattered to every one of us."
• "This doesn't need to be formal. We just wanted to stand here together for [Name]."
• "[Name] was part of this family for [number] years. Today we get to say thank you."
• For a pet who passed a while ago: "It's been [time] since [Name] passed. We never really had a chance to say goodbye together, so we're doing it now."

A simple eulogy outline

A pet eulogy can be three short paragraphs. Use this outline and fill in your own details.

1. A specific beginning. The day they came home, or the first thing you noticed. "The shelter volunteer said Rosie was shy. She climbed into my lap within four minutes."
2. Who they were, in habits. Two or three things they did every single day. "He met every delivery truck at the window. He hated the vacuum and loved the dryer."
3. What they gave you. Not grand claims, just true ones. "She got me outside every morning for eleven years."
4. What you'll miss. Small and concrete. "I'll miss the sound of her tags on the stairs."
5. Thank you. "Thank you, Rosie. We were lucky."

If writing is hard right now, say only steps 2 and 5. That is a complete eulogy.

Short examples you can adapt

These are written to be borrowed. Change the details to fit your pet.

For a dog:

Duke made a walk out of everything. The mailbox, the trash cans, the end of the driveway. He thought every person on our street was there to see him, and most of them were. Thank you for getting us out the door every day, buddy.

For a cat:

Olive chose us, not the other way around. She chose the warmest chair, the sunny window, and whichever lap was trying hardest to work. She was never in a hurry. We're grateful for every slow afternoon she gave us.

For a rabbit or small pet:

Clover was small, but she ran this house. She knew the sound of the fridge drawer where the parsley lived, and she let us know about it. Thank you for all the little thumps and the happy hops.

For a bird:

Kiwi whistled when the coffee maker started and again when the car pulled in. The house was never quiet with him in it. We're going to miss that noise more than we can say.

For a horse:

Dakota carried three of us through our first rides and never once made it feel scary. Every barn day started with her nicker. Thank you for your patience, girl, and for all the miles.

For a senior pet:

Biscuit was with us for fifteen years. She was there for two moves, a wedding, and a baby. She slowed down at the end, and so did we, so we could keep her company. Thank you for growing old with us.

For a pet with a short life:

We only had Milo for a little while, and that is the hard part. But in that time he learned every one of our routines, and he made the house feel full. Short is not the same as small.

If you chose euthanasia

Many families carry guilt into the funeral. Ohio State's veterinary medical center calls guilt "one of the most common emotions people experience after the death of their pet," and reminds owners that if they had done things differently, "the outcome would have been the same" just as often. You can acknowledge the decision without explaining it:

• "We made the hardest decision so that [Name] wouldn't hurt anymore."
• "Saying goodbye when we did was the last thing we could do for her."
• "We were with him at the end, and he wasn't alone."

Nobody at the funeral needs the medical details.

Words for children

Let a child say something short in their own words, or help them choose one of these:

• "Thank you for being my friend."
• "I liked when you slept on my bed."
• "I'm going to miss playing with you."
• "I love you, [Name]."

With young children, use clear words. Ohio State advises avoiding "went to sleep," "passed away" and "gone to a better place" with young kids, who take words literally, and warns that "put to sleep" can make children afraid to go to sleep. KidsHealth gives the same advice. For more, see explaining a pet's death to a child.

A reading, if you'd like one

A short reading can sit between the welcome and the stories. Two public domain options:

• Psalm 145:9 (King James Version): "The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works."
• From the inscription on the monument to Lord Byron's dog Boatswain (1808): "Beauty without Vanity, Strength without Insolence, Courage without Ferocity, And all the virtues of Man without his Vices."

Many more are in readings for a non-religious pet funeral and Christian prayers for a pet.

Closing words

• "Thank you, [Name]. We loved you, and we were lucky."
• "Goodbye, sweet friend. Thank you for every ordinary day."
• "Thank you all for coming, and for loving [Name] with us."
• "We'll keep the good days. Thank you for giving us so many."
• At a grave: "Rest easy here, [Name], in the yard you guarded so well."

What to avoid saying

• "It was just a dog" or "just a cat." Even as a joke.
• "You can get another one." That conversation can wait.
• Comparing losses. Grief for a pet is real on its own terms.
• Promises about what happens next, unless everyone present shares the belief. If your family has a shared faith, a prayer from that tradition fits well.

If you can't get the words out

That happens, and it's okay. Hand your card to someone else to read. Or say only the name and "thank you," then let the quiet do the rest. If you're attending someone else's pet funeral rather than leading one, our guide on what to say when someone loses a pet has words for that.