remembering pets who have passed

every form of life experiences death, humans and animals alike.

the end of life on this plane, though, does not mean those loved ones are gone forever.

an ofrenda is a great way to keep loved ones alive. this is an altar that includes photos of the deceased along with physical things that are reminders of them, as well as candles and flowers. in mexican culture, you often see marigolds, sugar skulls, and calacas which are colorful skeletons.

you can keep this altar up all year, or you can join the festivities of Dia de Los Muertos and set it up the last week of October through the first week of November. if you're unfamiliar with the holiday, i highly recomment watching the movie "coco" (2017),

left to right: my husband's family dog Osa, client Penny, my family dog Lucas, and client Ace.

this year, i have an ofrenda for some pets, including clients.

are you ready for some "woo-woo" talk? i actually set up this ofrenda because ace was in my dream the night of October 28. he was running around a neighborhood with other dogs, just having a great time. i woke up with tears of joy and i knew i had to print one of the many photos i have from his visits.

ace lived in philly so when he came to visit, he always wanted to go straight to the backyard and he'd stay out there all day if you let him, just rolling in the grass.

he passed away last year, fall of 2025 shortly before a scheduled stay. tom and i called him a frankendog because his parents made sure he lived a good long life by getting him any necessary procedures; his baby hippo sized body was prone to lumps and bumps.

my very first client after my move to DelCo was penny, a senior long-haired dachsund.

she lived right down the street from me with a black cat named matilda. penny loved to perch on top of the couch, over looking her street. when penny wasn't up for a big walk she'd enjoy princess treatment: lots of hair brushing, body wipes, cleaning her ears and her teeth.

in the last two years, our walks became shorter as penny grew older, but if you saw her run, you wouldn't know she was over 10 years old!

penny passed away august 2026. i am so thankful that i still have matilda to talk to about my penny memories when i go over for feedings.

every time we let someone into our hearts, we know there will be a day when they leave.

how do you remember the pets who have crossed the rainbow bridge?