Pet loss poems
Pet loss poems: short poems for a dog or cat who has died
These are short poems for the loss of a pet, written by us for a card, a goodbye, a grave marker or a portrait. They are free to use. There is one classic at the end, by Rudyard Kipling, which is in the public domain.
Short poems work best when they are read aloud or written into a picture. Each one here can be sent to our portrait tool, where your pet’s photo is drawn with the poem’s lines.
Poems for the loss of a dog
The empty lead
Use these words in a portrait →The lead still hangs beside the door,
your bowl is where it was before.
The house is quiet, still and small:
you were the loudest joy of all.
Waiting
Use these words in a portrait →You waited for me every day
by the window, at the gate.
Now it is my turn to wait for you,
and I won’t mind if you are late.
Paw prints
Use these words in a portrait →Muddy paws across the floor,
a tail that thumped against the door,
a sigh beside me every night:
you made the ordinary bright.
Good dog
Use these words in a portrait →Good dog.
Best friend.
Loved from the start
to the very end.
Poems for the loss of a cat
The sunny spot
Use these words in a portrait →There is a sunny windowsill
where you would always be.
It’s empty now, but every day
the light still keeps it free.
Quiet paws
Use these words in a portrait →You never asked for very much:
a lap, a name, a gentle touch.
You walked so softly through our years
we only hear you now, in tears.
Nine lives
Use these words in a portrait →They say a cat has nine lives.
You gave every one of them to us.
Very short poems for a portrait, a card or a stone
Two to four lines read well on a card and fill a portrait beautifully, because each line repeats across the picture.
Use these words in a portrait →Not gone,
just gone ahead.
Run free, my friend.
Use these words in a portrait →Gone from my sight,
never from my heart.
Use these words in a portrait →You were my sunshine on the grey days
and my shadow on the bright ones.
Use these words in a portrait →Thank you for the walks,
the waiting,
and for loving me
without a single reason.
A poem for a friend who lost a pet
For you, and for them
Use these words in a portrait →No words can fill the space they leave,
but every memory you keep
is one more way they stay
beside you while you grieve.
A classic: “The Power of the Dog”
Rudyard Kipling published this poem in 1909. Its first stanza is one of the most quoted lines about loving a dog; the poem is in the public domain.
There is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our days;
And when we are certain of sorrow in store,
Why do we always arrange for more?
Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.
How to write your own pet loss poem
Start with one real detail: a place, a sound, a habit. "The lead by the door" says more than "I miss you" because it is yours. Then add what you feel about it in a single line.
Rhyme is optional. Four short lines are enough. Read it aloud: if it sounds like you talking to them, it is right.
Questions
Can I use these poems on a card or a headstone?
Yes. The poems on this page are ours, except Kipling’s, which is in the public domain. You may use them for any personal memorial, with or without credit.
What is a good short poem for the loss of a dog?
"Gone from my sight, never from my heart" or "Good dog. Best friend. Loved from the start to the very end." Both fit on a card, a stone or a portrait.
Is there a famous poem about losing a pet?
The best known is the Rainbow Bridge, about pets waiting for their owners beyond a bridge. It is not in the public domain; our Rainbow Bridge page tells its story and has poems of our own on the same idea.