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Small Goodbyes Start a portrait

Cards for the people who knew them.

A pet memorial portrait, made from your photo, is one way to mark a loss. Here's how to write the card that goes with it.

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In the first few weeks, several people usually need to hear directly from you. The vet who was there at the end. The neighbour who walked them on Tuesday mornings. A cousin who wasn't sure whether to send a message. A card is an old answer to an old problem, something physical, something quieter than a text message, something they can keep.

A Small Goodbyes portrait is painted from your own photo in oil, watercolour, charcoal, line or pastel, printed to order in the UK: a companion piece to send alongside a card, or to give on its own.

When a card helps

Families reach for a card for three kinds of people: people who didn't know the pet well but knew they were important to you (colleagues, old friends); people who helped through the ending (the vet, the vet nurse, a pet-sitter); and family who loved them alongside you (parents, siblings, children).

What to write in a pet sympathy card

The blank page inside is the whole point of a pet sympathy card, and for most people, also the hardest part. Below are four short examples we'd happily print as our own. Pick a register that matches the relationship, then make it specific to the pet. Use their name. Reference one detail you'll genuinely miss. Keep it short. A short message, written in your own hand, lands harder than a long borrowed quote.

A warm message, to family: "I'm so sorry about Pip. We loved her too, that small, ridiculous bark she had at the postman, the way she insisted on being on the wrong side of every door. Your house will feel her absence for a long time. Thinking of all of you. – Sarah"

A brief message, for a colleague: "Heard about Monty. So sorry. He had fourteen good years with you, that's not a small thing. Take whatever time you need. – James"

A thank-you, to the vet: "Thank you for being so kind to Juniper, and to us. She was a particular cat about most things, but she was easy with you. We're keeping the room small and quiet for a while. With our gratitude. – The Wallaces"

A message a child can sign: "Bess was the best dog. She always shared her toys. We will miss her. From the whole house, Mum, Dad, Ella, and Tom"

A few things that lift any pet sympathy card message above generic: name the pet in the first sentence, mention one specific habit you'll miss, sign it personally rather than typing your name, and resist the urge to apologise for sending the card at all. Pet loss is a real loss; a card acknowledges it as one. That's the work the card is doing.

Questions

Should pet sympathy cards be signed?
Yes, a typed name reads as a corporate sympathy card. The whole point of a handwritten card is that it carries your hand. If you're worried about your handwriting, that's part of why the message is short. One legible signature beats a perfectly typed paragraph.
What should I write if I didn't really know the pet?
Acknowledge the loss, name the pet, and don't pretend a relationship you didn't have. "I'm so sorry about Bess. I know how much she meant to you." is a complete pet sympathy card message. It's honest. The recipient is grieving the pet, not auditing your familiarity.
Can I send a card to the vet who put my pet to sleep?
Yes, vets and vet nurses receive these often, and they tell us they're kept. The clinic where you said goodbye is also grieving in its own muted way. A pet bereavement card to the practice is the closest equivalent to a handwritten thank-you note that still feels proportionate to what the day was.
Are pet memorial sympathy cards different from regular sympathy cards?
Functionally, yes. A pet sympathy card pictures the specific pet, references a relationship that wasn't human, and uses language suited to that relationship, affectionate without overreaching, specific to the household rather than to a wider community.
How soon after a pet dies should I send a card?
Within the first two weeks is ideal. Sooner if the recipient is close. Later than two weeks is still better than never, many families say the cards that arrived a month later mattered most, once the immediate flurry of messages had passed.
Do you make dog sympathy cards, cat sympathy cards, and pet condolence cards?
Yes. "Sympathy card" and "condolence card" are two names for the same thing, so a pet condolence card and a pet sympathy card are identical here: a card for the specific dog or cat, in whatever way you choose to send it.

When you are ready

Send the photograph you already have. Nothing is printed until you have seen the portrait and said yes to it.

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