Guiding a family through the loss of their pet

Families "don't know what they don't know" when it comes to their options for memorializing the loss of their pet.

An epitaph that truly sums up a life!

As a pet parent, it's so difficult to instinctively know what the options are to honor a precious little pet when they die.  In our North American culture, it's just not natural for us to say "it's a beautiful day today - let's go get educated on our death care options."  We just don't do that.
So when a family turns to you for guidance during this time, don't assume that they know what they want.  Rest assured, they, more than likely, DO NOT have a clue as to what they want nor what their options are.  
When you are guiding a family, don't hesitate to educate them on all of their options.  If your organization has done it's job of having a variety of memorialization items available for a family to see, then take this opportunity to educate them on these options - as well as other ideas for them to consider.  For example, do you point out cremation jewelry and let them know that these vessels are also a good place to hold a bit of all of the pet parent's fur-kids hair?  Or to consider a keepsake urn for a loving grandparent?  Or maybe a large urn that can be used as a family urn - while all of the pets lived under one roof in life, let them rest under one roof, i.e. in one urn, in death.
How are you guiding your families?  Be a resource.  Help them in an area where they truly "don't know what they don't know."
Because if you are like me, a really bad day for me is when a family says to me "I wish you would've told me about THAT - I would've loved to have done THAT.  But now it's too late."
Be their "companion for their journey."  

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