Living in an apartment as a kid, I grew up as a cat person since we were not allowed to have dogs. I honestly don’t ever recall wanting a dog – maybe because none of my friends had one either and I didn’t know what I was missing. That all changed when I got married in in 1996. My wife grew up with dogs and insisted we have one. Well, a few years later when we could afford our first home, a new chocolate lab puppy was quick to follow. We named her Bailey and she was just perfect.

Ten years and two kids later, our dear Bailey fell victim to cancer. How could we now pay a proper tribute to her for all the love she gave us? We did decide to cremate her and plan to have a marker made to put in the garden to always remember her - problem is that there are so many types to choose from.

There are a lot more choices than you might realize

These types of pet memorials are often called Markers, Headstones or Plaques. They are most often used in pet cemeteries but have gained a growing popularity in gardens and backyards. There are many materials available for pet markers – but nearly all are made to be weather resistant and durable for outdoor use.  

Granite Pet Markers 

Stone Pet Markers


These are large natural stones, like river stones. They are sandblasted to etch in wording and a small design. Their irregular shape limits the amount of characters and prevents photos from being engraved but their natural beauty is perfect for a garden. They are easy to maintain and retain a natural appearance for many years. They typically start at $70.
 

Plaque Memorial Markers

Plaque markers are made from recycled aluminum and are used as stand up memorials that secure into the ground with stakes. They are custom formed and painted for every order, incorporating the exact wording and dates for each pet. These types of markers have been most used as garden signs but were recently adopted to use as pet memorials. Their beauty and durability make them a great alternative to the traditional marker. Prices are very affordable, starting at only $59.95.   

Cremation Pet Urns/Markers

 

These fairly recent type of pet markers have gained popularity the past few years. They serve a dual purpose as both a cremation urn and pet memorial marker. They include a container built into the urn to hold the pet’s ashes. As with the other type of markers, they are durable and weather resistant to withstand the elements. These types of pet markers come in several different materials including concrete and resin. The concrete pet markers are hand formed and include verses and can be engraved with a pet’s name. The resin markers are formed from a tough plastic material, available in several colors. Both are great alternatives to a traditional pet memorial marker. They are typically priced between $65 and $150.

Traditional Upright Pet Markers or Headstones  

Upright pet markers are modeled after traditional cemetery monuments. They can be simple to extremely extravagant and the prices can be the same. They are typically made from granite and require a granite base to mount onto. The traditional human headstone companies often make them for pets as well since the scale is much larger than most small pet marker companies can accommodate. These type headstones typically start at $400. 

So you can see why we’ve had such a tough time on what type of marker to get for our Bailey. Even though we’re in the pet memorials business and provide memorial markers for customer every day, it never makes it easier when it’s your own pet. I just know that when we do have a marker made for her, it will be just like she was, “perfect”.

Steve Mondazzi
www.PetsWeLoved.com
877-738-2275