Love seeing photographs and paintings of peoples' pets in their homes. I think that's the sweetest way to show pets are loved members of the family.

My friend had to put her dog to sleep unexpectedly last week, so this post had great timing and gives me a moment to reflect on my own pets.

I have 3 cats (Clapton, Aeon, Lazarus) and a new dog addition (Artie) to the family. They all have their own unique personalities that compliment each other. I would love to get them all in one photo and have a friend create a large painting for the living room. Worst case scenario, I've got individual photos of each that capture their quirky personalities (and attitudes), and I plan to have 4 smaller paintings done for each of them.

It breaks my heart to think of having to say goodbye to any of them someday, but I think an original painting would be a great way to keep them around and share with my future family.

It seems lately, there have been many sad stories like this from people I know.
When I was in college I saved a lost pit bull that was about to cross into a busy intersection. As he came toward me I realized he was a HUGE pit bull, and questioned my sanity in calling him over to me. He was a sweetheart though, and only about 6 months old. My boyfriend at the time and I took him in, and he became our boy. When we broke up, he stayed with his "Dad" because he had the best house for him. The years went by, and our boy grew into an old man and then last fall he passed away from cancer. I had his tags made into a necklace for my ex, who naturally it hit extremely hard. He wears them under his clothes so he will always be next to his heart. My condolensces to your Mom.

My family had to put down our family cat, Marmalade, down last September. She had cancer and as soon as she was diagnosed, you could see a drastic change in her. No more was she the bossy b*tch running the house. No longer was she making you admire her beauty by presenting herself at your feet every chance she got.
She was only 10 when she passed(FAR too young), but she had a full and loving life. She ruled and everyone knew it.
We had her cremated and have her in a sweet little urn in my mothers china cabinet.
I have blown up a 11x14 picture of her and have it above my tv in my living room, and I can't help but feel she is here with me. And I must say, I do shed a tear every time I look up and see that gorgeous little face. She was and always will be a huge part of my life.
My heart goes out to your mother. It's never easy to love a loved one...

My husband found a company that makes a diamond out of your dog's ashes (http://www.lifegem.com/). We lost our golden lab a couple of years ago, and someday I'll get a diamond made so I can remember him forever :) Has anyone tried this company before?

In my office I have a little shadow box with one of the last pictures I took of one of my cats before he died, and his worn collar and banged-up tags. I have everything I need to do the same thing for my other cat, who died a couple of years ago at 16. I live in a no-pets place now, but having the pictures up makes me feel like they're close by still.

After thousands of dollars in vet fees during the last year, and with all the final costs, I couldn't even afford to go home with my beagle Bubby's ashes. Instead, I've saved her large quilted zip-off dog bed cover, with the little puppy and fire hydrant designs sewn on.

I also still have her collar & tags, and photos.

She was my best friend for 15 of her 17 years, so I understand what it feels like to come home and be heartbroken. I still miss her whenever I'm feeling lonely or having a bad day.

I encased The Psycho Burmese's ashes in plastic and then sewed the pouch inside the body of a stuffed toy Burmese kitty, which also wears her pretty black velveteen collar and St. Francis medallion. She sits high on a ledge in my living room and is still queen of all she surveys.

When my dog had to be put to sleep last year, the vet office made a paw print in playdoh/clay for me. I've had friends get paw prints from other vets' offices, so I assumed it was a pretty common practice.

I still miss him terribly and I'm glad I have the paw print. I'd feel weird about having his ashes, though.

When my babies go, I typically spread their ashes in a simple ceremony and remember them through photos. I did have an artist friend do portraits of my two bullies, though. If life would settle down, I'd love to have him do one of my late boxer, Whiskey, too. Because my portraits were done by a dear friend, they are all the more special. His website is Jonkillough.com. His work is awesome!

My rabbit Chelsea died last summer when she was 8. I buried her ashes in the garden - I can't see her anymore, but I know she's there, and that's a comfort.

LOVE the Joan Hiller painting; it reminds me of Seals & Crofts Summer Breeze album cover. :)

My Lefty has been gone a year and a half. I still miss him but the pain has mostly been replaced by happy memories of how goofy and nerdy (and occasionally annoying) he was. I have his ashes in a small urn I keep in my nightstand, and a pawprint in clay that I intend to get a necklace from one day (http://www.pawprintsjewelry.com/). I can't imagine NOT having his ashes, though I'm aware that it's not "him." After I'd had it for a few weeks the urge to take a peek at the ashes was just too strong. (It looked like beige vacuum dust, which was about what I'd expected.) :)

I also keep my dog's ashes, but not in al closet, they are in an urn in one of my living room tables. Of course, after the mourning, it is better to remember the good times and enjoy your other pets on every stage of their life!

Gah, I meant to add my condolences for your mom's loss. I still remember the ache I felt when he first died, and the sadness that lingered for weeks afterward. It was the first time I'd lost a pet, or anyone/anycreature close to me, for that matter.

Please give your mom a hug for me and tell her I am sorry to hear about Dakota.
I have had to part with more than 10 dogs over the years and those who have been cremated are still with me in the form of their ashes. When I die, I want to be cremated as well and my ashes are be mixed with the ashes of my dogs and then sprinkled somewhere.
(Yeah, I guess you will think I am a weirdo).
I really love the watercolour painting, what a thoughtful gift!

I'm so sorry, Annamaria. I keep my pets' ashes and photographs on the bookshelf, and their spirits and love in my heart. Gad, that sounds so corny, but those who have loved a pet and been loved back by one might understand.

I recently had to put my cat Kelly down; she was 18 years old. I had her cremated so I have her ashes in a little wooden box with a brass plate on top with her name engraved on it. I rescued Kelly along with another kitten I named Coco. Coco passed away at age 14 and I have her ashes too. I have pictures of Kelly and Coco along with family pictures because they were family. I miss them so much.

Hi - I'm a dog lover too and hold my two pups close to my heart. A good friend lost their dog a year ago and my husband painted a portrait of Ozzy for her. He has since had several commissions for dogs of present and past. Check out his etsy page The Stately Savage, if you are interested:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheStatelySavage

Mesophile- that's awesome! I lost my great dane at 18 months old and attached her tags to a plant I see daily. Pet owners need to read "the rainbow bridge".
I have lost pets and I have lost a child. There is no comparison. My home is not a memorial but he is everywhere-- in the bowl of colorful marbles in a silver dish, in the airplane statue ready to take off, little things of who he was while he was here. Most of all, he resides in my heart.

When my beloved cat was put to sleep two years ago, our vet also gave us her paw print rendered in clay, as well as a stamp of her paw on a piece of card stock. I have the clay paw print on my mantel in a basket, and the card stock is framed alongside pictures of my boys at their births. She was my first baby (I had her for almost 20 years) and I'll always miss her.

I only had my cat for 2 years (he was an old cat, a stray, and walked straight into my life when I needed it the most) but he was my first cat that was mine. When he was put to sleep, the vet asked if I wanted his ashes or a pawprint in clay but I move so much I was afraid they'd be too easier to lose or break. All I wanted was his collar because I remember getting to my apartment door and hearing the bell jingling before I even had the key in the lock...it now sits on my hutch with other life momentos.

I have his ashes in a small urn I keep in my nightstand, and a pawprint in clay that I intend to get a necklace from one day . really amazing......

Rabbit Hutches | Chicken Coops | Dog Kennels

I hate this post. I didn't even make it past the cut before starting to tear up. I haven't lost my cat yet, but I've had him for seven years, and he's been to Europe and back with me. I've already told him he's not allowed to go.

But I know when it happens, I will be an absolute wreck, and I will want to keep his ashes. I do like the portrait idea, and perhaps when I have a bit more saved up, I will see if I can find someone to paint him. He's such an adventurous little bugger that sometimes I forget that he will go before me.

I hope your mum will soon find comfort in Dakota's things, and smile at the goofy memories pets bring.

Couldn't be more timely - I've been wanting to do something like this for our Bichon, Taylor James, who passed last summer. We have a little grave for him in the backyard, but he hated having to be away from us in the living room, even long enough to go out and do his business. So, he needs a portrait to hang by the tv, where his bed was for so long. Thoughts are with your mother - wouldn't wish it on anyone.

I have a trimming of fur, from each, held in heart shaped lockets and they hang as a group from a hook in my bedroom.

I wish I had kept the simple leather collar that my first childhood dog wore. For the first dog that I had as an adult, I kept his beautiful leather collar, and 2 large sticks (2' and 4' long) that he found and brought home on 2 of his final walks through the woods. I put them on my wall, and my heart twinges, but also warms, each time I walk by them.

Further to my comment above, I also bought a dark brown faux-fur throw - it's very soft and reminds me of the fur on his head, soft and smooth.

When we lost our kitty Nutmeg last summer (at only age 9 to stomach cancer), the vet gave us a clipping of her beautiful dilute calico fur. We placed that in a small wooden box with her collar. I sketched a drawing of a Nutmeg plant on the front. I also want to have a portrait of her done some day to hang in the gallery wall we have in our hallway. It's been almost a year and I still miss her.

I'm not one for keepsakes. When I had to have Geisha put down (pancreatic cancer) I used my favorite photo of her as my desktop pattern for about a year. As soon as I could bear it, we adopted a new cat (Mika) from the shelter, to continue the love. I miss Geisha, but Mika is a different personality and we love her too.

I do think the pawprint in clay is a sweet idea, though. I'll have to mention it to our vet...

This Monday we had put down my kitten (only 3.5 years old) and its heartbreaking. We buried him in the yard and i bought some bleeding heart plants to put near the little grave. Give your mom a hug for me this is an awful thing to go through.

Wow... what a timely post. I just had to put down my chihuahua companion of 13 years at the beginning of this month. I had her cremated and, along with the ashes of my cat, another chihuahua, my dad's dog, and my neighbor's dog, buried them beneath a weeping cherry tree at my new (and first) house. Here's a pic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ph0enixinflight/6916932188/in/set-72157627044350972

Also, I used some of her ashes (along with some of my cat's) to have some two beads made for a necklace by Jamie's Studio (http://www.jamiesstudio.com/). I haven't received it yet, but wanted to have something more, in case I ever have to move (since I won't be able to take the tree with me).

Doing both of these things has been enough to help me through the grieving process. It takes time, but eventually we make peace with the fact that they are gone. It hurts in the beginning, but then you're just thankful that they are no longer suffering.

I have a painted tin that holds the ashes of my beloved boxer, Toby. I keep it on a table in my bedroom with family photos. I also have a tiny enamel box that holds a little tuft of his fawn coat.

It comforts me to be able to lay my hand on the containers with our dogs' ashes.

We took a a 6 week cross country road trip with our Boston Terrier, Doc, a few years back. In order for our family and friends to keep track of where we went, we created a photoblog for Doc to post all of his pictures: in Las Vegas, the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Mt Rushmore, Chicago, Boston, a farm, Bourbon St., Nashville, etc. We have pictures of him in all sorts of places. In order to share it with others, we turned it into a book that we gave as gifts to grandparents and things. They love it, and tragically, Doc passed away very unexpectedly about a year later. We kept his ashes, but the memories from our trip and the book specifically are the most comforting.

I'm not a keepsake kind of person, but I do have a ton of photos of my cat. She's so beautiful and funny, we can't help it. I'll remember her whenever I'll watch family videos or photo albums, just the way I do for deceased family members.

Funny thing about my childhood dog: I had the hardest time for a few weeks, then I dreamt of her (beautiful female shepard). She was coming in and out of walls and pieces of furnitures, just like a ghost, and I was allowed to pet her for a few seconds. Then she brought me a baby cat or dog, I still don't know, let me pet her for the last time, and disappeared, leaving me with the tiny baby dog/cat. I woke up in tears with my hands still feeling my beloved's beautiful fur, but that dream ended the mourning period. Years later, as soon as I could, I got a cat (more compatible to my life style), and I can't help feeling that as long as I have an animal at home, I won't forget any of my deceased companions.

We had to let our cat Munchausen go late last year, and it's been hard - even as I write this I find myself tearing up. One of the most comforting things that we have to remind us of him are some detailed photos we took of him and our other cat, Zilla, a couple of years ago. We were bored one night, so my husband took out his camera and a macro lens and we took pictures of them. He's not a photographer, but he took a lot of shots of Munch in his element, and a lot of detail shots of his funny little physical quirks -- the insanely soft spot on top of his head, a rogue silver strand of hair on the back of his puffy black coat, details of his paws, etc. Sometimes you forget the fine details after losing a pet, but going through the photographs offer comforting reminders of their little quirks.

On a different note, Munch always had a habit of tracking paw prints from the litter box through the kitchen. He passed away in November of last year, yet there are three paw prints that are still on the kitchen floor -- the floor's been swept and mopped numerous times over, but those paw prints are still there. It's a comforting reminder that he's always still here with us!

@cfieds..My sheltie was at my feet non-stop and went everywhere with me so, he was first in and first out of the door. I keep his tags on a small windchime that are moved by the air of the door opening and closing. He is still first in--first out.

Those of us still following our ancestors religion are well aware of Bilfrost...the Rainbow Bridge.

My vet gave me a plaque of my dog's footprint 6 months later when I came in with my next fur kid. Amazingly, I started crying all over again but this time they were happy tears.

I hate even thinking about this - my cat will be 3 in May so I hope I have a long time to spend with him. One thing I am tempted to do (but I can't decide if it pushes me into crazy cat lady territory) is save his fur - he sheds quite a bit - and have it spun into yarn so I can make something like a scarf. There's a company online who will do this. Is that nuts?

My best friend made me a portrait of my dog. She's not an artist; one of those paint-a-picture studios helped her do it. This is a really cute idea, too -- custom paw print or nose print necklaces: http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/custom-pet-paw-print-necklace

I'm sorry for your mothers loss.

I have a 1 year old pitbull puppy. He is my life. And since a few friends dogs have passed away recently I've become rather morbid in thinking of his eventual passing. When he was just a pup at the shelter he rubbed his nose so much that there's a big chunk missing. I call him my little no-nose pit (since people who don't know much about the breed like to distinguish by their nose color - it's a fun little joke). I found this on etsy:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/48507505/sterling-silver-dog-nose-necklace

I thought it would be a cute way to keep a part of him with me. Especially since his nose is so distinct and I love when he taps his nose on my face like an eskimo dog kiss.

My daughter's shar pei, Charlotte, passed away exactly one year ago. She was only 3 1/2 and it was very unexpected. My daughter (and we) were devastated. Fortunately we had had a portrait painted of her for my daughter as a Christmas present just four months before. We also had a photo of Shea with Charlotte blown up on a canvas. My daughter carts the framed portrait and the canvas back and forth the 2000 miles between home in summer and university fall and winter.

We lost our family dog last year - he was 13 years old. We had him cremated, and his ashes are in an urn in my sister's bedroom (where he practically spent the day/owned the bed). I have some of his ashes in my bedroom as well (I live in Sweden) along with a paw print on cement and some fur in an envelope. We also have pictures on display when he was a healthy dog. We mostly reflect on the good times, the joy and laughter he brought into our lives. He was our first family pet, and he was very special.

I agree with another commenter about photos comforting me. For me at least, the thought of having my dog's ashes close to me hurts me too much. It would just remind me of her death and not being there anymore. I prefer keeping the photos and videos I made of her. It helps me remember the good times better.

I read that some people keep their deceased pets taxidermied in lifelike poses in their homes. That wouldn't work for me. Just photos from when my pets were healthy and happy would suffice.

I saw this post, but I couldn't bear to read it. I'm sorry for your mom's loss and your gift was very thoughtful. I had to have our cat euthanized last July and his brother a few years ealier. The vet came to our home and I held him in my arms. It was a difficult choice, but he was sick and I didn't want him to feel physical pain and it was evident towards the end that he was. We were treating him for kidney disease, but he also developed pancreatitis. He cried out to me on that day and I didn't want him to suffer. I left his sleeping basket where it always was and even his bowl. I just haven't been able to cope with it, but I'm slowly easing out of grief. I also found out that I'm allergic to cats. I seldom talk about it as people will tell you to get a "new" cat, etc., and that may be fine for some people, but everyone's grief processes are different. I know one day, hopefully (if my doc suggests that I can manage the allergies) that I will open my heart again to loving another cat. I really cannot imagine a life where that wasn't possible. You're so very right that they fill our days with joy and happiness. I've alway felt that way even as a little girl of two when our family adopted a cat that my sister brought home with her. I loved each and every one.

We have a framed photo of our dearly departed cat, Hagi, displayed on the bookcase in our livingroom.

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Pictures & keeping their favorite toy.