Dogs are members of the family in every way that matters, which makes losing them all the more devastating. The fact that we’re not supposed to value animals as much as humans doesn’t make the grief any less real. If you’ve ever lost a beloved pet, you get it.
Words can’t make the heartbreak go away, but it can be comforting to know that you’re not alone in your feelings about dogs. The truth is, humans have been loving and losing their canine companions for many, many years. That’s how we ended up with The Rainbow Bridge and so many other sentimental poems and sayings about dogs.
Whether you’re grieving yourself or searching for ways to offer condolences to a friend, here are some favorite inspirational quotes about losing a dog.
- “If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.” – Will Rogers
- “The dog is the most faithful of animals and would be much esteemed were it not so common. Our Lord God has made His greatest gifts the commonest.” – Martin Luther
- “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” – Anatole France
- “The risk of love is loss and the price of loss is grief. But the pain of grief is only a shadow when compared with the pain of never risking love.” – Hilary Stanton Zunin
- “The world would be a nicer place if everyone had the ability to love as unconditionally as a dog.” – M.K. Clinton
- “The dog is a gentleman. I hope to go to his heaven, not man’s.” – Mark Twain
- “Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe. We are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made.” – Roger A. Caras
- “One day we will again see our animals in the eternity of Christ.” – Pope Paul VI
- “Dogs’ lives are short, too short, but you know that going in. You know the pain is coming, you’re going to lose a dog, and there’s going to be great anguish, so you live fully in the moment with her, never fail to share her joy or delight in her innocence, because you can’t support the illusion that a dog can be your lifelong companion. There’s such beauty in the hard honesty of that, in accepting and giving love while always aware that it comes with an unbearable price.” – Dean Koontz
- “Dogs’ lives are too short. Their only fault, really.” – Agnes Sligh Turnbull
- “Dogs are always good and full of selfless love. They are undiluted vessels of joy who never, ever deserve anything bad that happens to them.” – Steven Rowley
- “I guess you don’t really own a dog, you rent them, and you have to be thankful that you had a long lease.” – Joe Garagiola
- “If there is a heaven, it’s certain our animals are to be there. Their lives become so interwoven with our own, it would take more than an archangel to detangle them.” – Pam Brown
- “Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day.” – John Grogan
- “If you have a dog, you will most likely outlive it; to get a dog is to open yourself to profound joy and, prospectively, to equally profound sadness.” – Marjorie Garber
- “I feel about my dogs now, and all the dogs I had prior to this, the way I feel about children – they are that important to me. When I have lost a dog I have gone into a mourning period that lasted for months.” – Mary Tyler Moore
- “You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
- “Dogs die. But dogs live, too. Right up until they die, they live. They live brave, beautiful lives. They protect their families. And love us. And make our lives a little brighter. And they don’t waste time being afraid of tomorrow.” – Dan Gemeinhart
- “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” – Josh Billings
- “The one best place to bury a good dog is in the heart of his master.” – Ben Hur Lampman
More Condolences For Someone Who Has Lost a Dog
While not attributed to anyone famous, the following sayings might also be comforting to someone whose dog has recently died.
- The worst thing about losing your dog is not having someone there to lick the tears away.
- Dogs are only in our lives for a short time, but they stay in our memories for as long as we live. It’s a small consolation, but it’s nice to know we can always visit them in our thoughts.
- Don’t ever apologize or feel silly about crying over a dog. When you lose your best friend, you have every right to be sad about it.
- You were as devoted to your dog as he was to you. That’s remarkable.
- You’ve lost a dog but gained a guardian angel.
- Don’t let anyone tell you she was just a dog. She was a wonderful part of your life that you had to let go. You don’t just get over that.
- Someday the memories of those last days will fade and you’ll think about your dog as he was in happy times, in all his butt-wiggling, face-licking, squirrel-chasing, mischief-making glory.