Indies Share What They Do When a Customer’s Pet Dies

question:

The hardest part about being in this business and loving your pupstomers and customers is when the pets pass. Do you do anything special beyond a card and/or condolences? — Johnna Devereaux, Fetch RI, Richmond, RI

• We send an angel wings keychain made of pewter with a picture of their pet, along with a condolence card from our team. — Frank Frattini, The Hungry Puppy, Farmingdale, NJ
• We have custom-made cards from a local artist. We also have the same artist do small framed portraits for super-special longtime clients. We have clients who have been with us from birth to death. We take it very hard, too! — Karen Conell, The Bark Market, Delavan, WI
• We have a local artist who does 5-by-7 watercolors at a good price. — Kelley White, Bluegrass Barkery, Lexington, KY
• That is for sure the best and worst part of being here 24-plus years. I’ve seen many new puppies (the best) and many old, dying puppies (the worst). We send cards, and when the owners come in and tell us, we cry with them because we have lost our pup also. — Paula Gorman, Pet Supplies ‘N’ More, Muskego, WI
• For our long-time clients, we make a donation in their pet’s memory to a local organization that provides veterinary services for those having financial difficulty. It’s called the Shamrock Animal Fund. They send the client a letter telling them about our donation, along with the story and photo of a pet they have helped. Our clients really appreciate it, and often send us notes about how much the stories touch them. — Amy Schiek, Lucky Dogs, Skaneateles, NY
• We send a card with a paper heart you can plant and wildflowers will grow. — Kaitlin McGrath, Belmont Pet Shop, Belmont, MA
• We send flowers to really good customers and a memory candle to all others. — Comora Tolliver, Barkers Anonymous, Hendersonville, NC

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