Friends of The Ralph Site will not be surprised to find that one of the most popular sections of our website is our Memorials page. Hundreds of bereaved carers have already uploaded photos and memories of their special friends – placing a permanent visual record of their pet online serves a number of positive purposes:

•  Providing a lasting reminder of the unique character of a beloved companion
•  Drawing empathy, thoughts and prayers from other pet carers
•  Helping to provide a sense of closure and acknowledgement

Some people find that it helps to share stories of the unique personalities of their own much-loved pets, whilst others take some small comfort from reading about pets who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge. When the time comes, if you want to share your own feelings on The Ralph Site, it’s very easy to add a memorial. You can find more details here.

Every day we share one or more memorials on our Facebook page  marking the anniversary of animal companions that have passed away within the previous three years. Our many Facebook friends tell us that they greatly value this welcoming and understanding space, where pet carers can share their feelings and offer advice to anyone feeling angry, sad or frustrated in their loss. Others often add poignant and sensitive posts and comments, which help anyone grieving to understand that they are not alone.

Ultimately that is what we are most proud of at The Ralph Site – the shared sense of community created by people from all walks of life, united by a common thread. We have each experienced the pain of losing a much-loved friend and we aim to support anyone going through, or preparing for, the loss of a pet through our work. If you have visited The Ralph Site recently, you may have noticed that we offer friends the opportunity to commission ‘Original pet portraits’. These lovely pastel artworks are done by Mel Saalfeld, a veterinary colleague of our founder who has very kindly offered to donate her commission fees to The Ralph Site. As a not-for-profit organisation, we are always very grateful for any support that helps us continue our pet loss work.

Until next time, very best wishes from Shailen and The Ralph Site team
The Ralph Site, non-profit pet loss support