July 30, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Please join the Honoring the Bond Program at the 3rd Annual Companion Animal Remembrance Ceremony, as we celebrate the lives of our beloved companion animals that we have lost in the past year. We will gather to listen to speakers and participate in a celebration of the lives that we have lost. As in years past, we will also display a slideshow of photos that you have submitted.

This year, we will also provide children's activities during the speaker's portion of the event, as well as an optional therapeutic art activitiy for adults and children. With regrets, we ask that you leave surviving companion animals at home, as we are unable to adequately and responsibly meet their wellness needs. The celebration will take place on the College of Veterinary Medicine campus.  Once we determine the number of RSVPs, we will notify attendees of the exact location.

We are sorry, the registration deadline was Saturday, July 23, 2011. Last minute registration will only be accepted for pets that have died in July, 2011.  For last minute registration, please contact Joelle Nielsen at 247-8607 or joelle [dot] nielsen [at] cvm [dot] osu [dot] edu

Following are just a few of the comments that were received from attendees of the 2010 ceremony:

"Thanks for including me in the beautifully touching ceremony. What a wonderful remembrance and ceremony; a moment in time, not to be forgotten on many levels."

"It was very therapeutic for me."

"Thank you so much for the beautiful remembrance ceremony. It was a wonderful way to remember our animals."

"The ceremony was overwhelming at times, but a big help to share with everyone else there, and to share in everyone else's grief and the healing process."

"It was beautiful. It was very heartfelt that OSU would do all of that for us. There were plenty of tears and a few laughs. We were all in the same situation, dealing and healing from our losses, but were made to feel so welcomed, comfortable and not afraid to show our emotions. But it was so very touching that OSU thought of the animals so much to honor their memories and how they touched our lives so much."

"I think it's a very thoughtful thing your group has done, and it helped to know that many people feel the same way I do about my pets."

"I found the Ceremony to be a wonderful celebration of our loving companions that have left us - only physically, but NEVER in spirit."

"Thank you for organizing this wonderful event. We have many rituals that help us deal with the loss of people we love, but none for the loss of our beloved animal companions. Often, the people in our lives expect us to be "over" the loss of them very quickly and when that doesn't happen, they think something is wrong with us."

"...I truly appreciate the opportunity to honor and remember her as well as grieve her passing. The "heart" ceremony was wonderful. I will stop by the tree when I next come to Columbus."