Pet memorial gifts

11 November 2026

A good pet memorial gift keeps their name and gives the family something to come back to: a star named after them, a favourite photograph framed with their name and dates, or a few lines about what made them who they were. Small, personal gestures tend to mean the most, whether the animal was yours or a friend's.

What is a good gift when a pet dies?

Losing a pet can hurt far more than people who haven't been through it expect. The gifts that help are the ones that take the loss seriously and keep the animal's name, rather than anything general about grief.

• Something with their name on it. A star named after them, or a photograph with their name and dates.
• Your own memory of them. One thing you remember about the animal, written in a card, means more than a long message.
• Something for the children. A thing they can read, hold or point to, which gives the loss a place.
• A kind word later on. A few weeks on, when the cards have stopped, a message can be the most welcome of all.

A star named after a much-loved pet

A star gives the loss a place: their name, perhaps a date and a few words, kept against a real star you can look for on a clear night and return to on the evenings you miss them most. It also gives the family something to do together, with a certificate to read and frame and a chart to find the constellation on. We run two star naming brands, each with its own register and documents.

The Star Naming Co.

With The Star Naming Co. the star's name can simply be theirs, such as "Bramble", or "Bramble's Star", with a message carrying the dates or the thing everyone remembers about them. You can pick the constellation, perhaps one you used to see on late walks together, or let a star be chosen for you.

• Five documents. A name certificate with the registry number and the star's co-ordinates, a personalised welcome letter, a co-ordinates sheet with a sky chart, the story of the constellation and an extract from the register.
• Their own star page. It carries their name and your message, and can be shared with everyone who knew them.
• Digital or printed. The digital version is emailed within minutes, any hour. The printed pack, on fine cream stock, is posted free in the UK within 24 hours.
• Two who were never apart. The Twin Star Gift Pack names two neighbouring stars in the same constellation together on one certificate.

See naming a star after your pet on The Star Naming Co. website.

Intergalactic Star Database

Dogs, cats, horses and the odd tortoise all have stars in the Intergalactic Star Database, which registers a star from the Hipparcos catalogue under any name you type. Each star comes with a Certificate of Registry, a Star Area Co-ordinates Sheet, a welcome letter and a fold-out star chart, either posted in a full-colour gift envelope or ready to print at home as soon as you have paid.

For a household of animals, up to ten stars can go in one order on its website, each with its own name, Database Number and certificate, registered side by side in the same small patch of sky. Read more about a star for a much-loved pet.

What should a pet memorial say?

A pet's name is usually short, which leaves room to add something, whether on a certificate, a frame or a card. Ideas:

• Just their name. Plain and personal.
• Their name and dates. Years of birth and death, or the day a rescue came home.
• The full formal name. Show dogs and horses often have a long registered name nobody ever used.
• The name they really answered to. The nickname the whole family used, alongside their proper name.
• The children's choice. If a child was their biggest fan, let them choose the words.

Check the spelling carefully, even for a pet. A typo looks just as wrong framed on the wall.

How can you help a child when a pet dies?

When a family pet dies, something definite to hold on to can help a child. A star is a real star with a real position, and they can be shown where it is.

• Read the name together. Many children like to hear it read aloud, then read it themselves.
• Put the chart on the wall. Find the constellation together on a clear evening.
• Use the online sky map. On a cloudy night the star's page still shows where it is.
• Go out with binoculars. The stars used for naming are fainter than the eye can see alone, so binoculars or a telescope are needed.

It is wise to avoid telling a child that the pet has become the star or is watching from it. Children can take that literally. Saying that the star has been given their pet's name, so the family can look at it and think of them, is true and is enough.

Giving a pet memorial gift to a friend

If a friend's animal has died, a small, thoughtful gesture tends to be remembered. A few things help:

• It needn't be the same week. A few weeks later, when the cards have stopped, can be a better moment.
• Keep the name simple. The animal's name, perhaps with a date.
• Add a note. One thing you remember about the animal means more than anything general about loss.
• Check the name. Quietly ask someone else in the household if you are unsure.

For remembering a person rather than a pet, see our memorial gift ideas. Plenty of stars are also named for pets who are very much alive, such as a rescue's first year at home or a horse's retirement, and a star can suit the pet lover who is hard to buy for, as our page on gifts for someone who has everything explains.

How quickly is a pet memorial star ready?