Historians agree that man tamed animals roughly 15,000 years ago. It’s believed that the wolf became the world's first, and of course, dogs evolved from that genetic tree. But though historians agree on the origins of domestication, they can’t seem to agree upon on the origins of the pet.

The first domesticated animals were not pets. They had to earn their keep like everyone else by hunting, protecting and herding. There simply wasn’t enough food to share without the animals enduring hard work. Enter the elite. Since putting food on their tables was not a problem, the ruling class began to breed for companionship and of course, for status.  

How things have changed.

Today, pets are no longer the sole possessions of the elite, nor can they simply be defined as canines or felines. Our love for pets includes birds, cats, mice, horses, pigs, fish, cows and the list goes on and on. In fact, the Humane Society states that there are more than 77.5 million dogs and 93.6 million cats in the United States alone. Their popularity is at an all time high because despite the type of pet owned, there’s an innocence and natural curiosity about them, and with certain kinds, an unconditional gift of love, loyalty and dedication. Traits that can be difficult to find in human beings at times. 

During their lives, the relationship they share with us is very special so it may not be surprising that after their lives, pet memorials are a wonderful way to eternally honor them. But we've come a long way from burying our pets in backyards with handmade crosses and markers. In fact, there are more than 500 pet cemeteries in the US that are dedicated solely to our deceased fury friends, but recently, burying a pet has become more difficult because of zoning laws and lack of available land.

So now, cremating our favorite pets is on the rise. It’s not just because of the lack of land. More so, there's been new wave of options to memorialize them. Take pet urns for example. Pet Urns are carefully handmade from solid oak or walnut trees and many have beautifully sculpted bronze statues that capture the unique relationship we share with them.

Another way of memorializing pets is ceramic photography because ceramic pictures can be placed outdoors on a favorite fence or dog house or tree, and the photo will never fade or succumb to the elements of the outdoors due to a special process that melts the photo into the ceramic or porcelain base. And believe it or not, cremation jewelry is making a big statement with all kind of themed pieces that come in a variety of precious metals like sterling silver and 14K gold. 

Those of us who have had great pets always say that they were like a part of the family, and the only correction to that statement is that they were part of the family. And now, we have the options to memorialize them in a truly deserving way. 

Please see our entire collection at:

Dog Memorials

Cat Memorials