Commemorating Deceased Dogs With a Pet Remembrance Book

How a pet tribute photo book should look

Photos

Chances are that you already have hundreds if not thousands of photos of your dog that were taken from the first time the family’s newest member set foot in your home until their very last days. Obviously, putting each and every one of those photos into the tribute book is unnecessary; it’s best to select only those pictures that best capture the dog’s life in its daily activities, whether that’s taking a nap on the couch, playing in the park or doing something that melted your heart at the time.

There are two things to consider, though. Firstly, just as is the case with any other photo book, the images shouldn’t overcrowd the pages unless you intend to create montages. Secondly, the tribute photo book doesn’t necessarily have to feature only the family’s furry friend since the happiest of memories can also be triggered by photos of the dog with other family members. And don’t forget that pictures depicting children interacting with pets are bound to keep the memories of the dog alive.

Theme

A pet remembrance book is the celebration of a life well-lived, therefore the photo book should have a theme that is capable of telling the beloved dog’s story through all those photos. Usually it can be best achieved by following the traditional chronological format with the first picture taken in the dog’s younger days and the last one being the most recent.

However, photos can be organized according to any particular theme so long as they trigger happy memories. In that regard, any adventures the dog went on or the holidays where the pet accompanied you can indeed strengthen the book’s wistful memories.

Text

Writing down your feelings in a letter and then addressing it to the deceased is very helpful in coping with the loss of a loved one – and saying goodbye to your four-legged friend this way could also work when used within your dog remembrance photo book. However, since this type of book is usually about capturing the happiest and most memorable moments of someone’s life, it’s best to recall those particular occasions – preferably the funny or heartwarming ones – and place them next to or under the relevant picture in the photo book.

As for what should be written, it could be anything from an appropriate word, a fitting sentence, a quote or an entire short story. The pages of photo books have plenty of space for anyone who knew the dog and might like to contribute to keeping the animal’s memory alive. And if that doesn’t work, there is a cute and lovely way that is guaranteed to succeed: letting the dog tell its story in its own barks.

Physical attributes

Although most photo printing services provide endless options when it comes to the overall appearance of photo books – including their various shapes, sizes, covers, photo papers, and bindings – in the case of a tribute book it’s best to keep things simple. In that regard, a photo book in the size of 8×8 with an image wrap cover featuring the best, high-resolution photo of the dog and pages filled with regular photo paper is more than enough. For more sentimental dog owners, however, there is the option to create pocket-sized books as well, which can be kept in close proximity and conveniently flipped through whenever the urge to take a pleasant trip down Memory Lane comes about.

And speaking of petite photo books, it’s good to know that they are perfect for serving as smaller copies of the original book that can then be handed to other family members who were not so close to the dog but still want to remember the family’s favorite pet.