Best Pet Bereavement Book

Playwright Eugene O'Neil, four-time Pulitzer Prize winner as well as a recipient of a Nobel Prize for Literature, was a devoted pet owner. When his Dalmatian "Blemie" -- Silverdene Emblem -- was nearing the end of his life, O'Neill wrote this lovely little piece of literature to comfort his wife.

The book is presented in a beautiful keepsake edition illustrated with photographs of quilts specially made by quilt artist Adrienne Yorinks. Each of the pieced, hand-stitched pieces includes color transfer photographs of dogs; all are different. This book not only celebrates the love between humans and pets but it celebrates the beauty of the written word and the artistry of hand-crafting.

I have shared this on many occasions; it never fails to move its recipient.

Last Will and Testament of an Extremely Distinguished Dog is Blemie's farewell to his "Master and Mistress." It is the reminiscences of a beloved pet and his wishes for his owners as they navigate the grieving process and move forward. Although written about a dog, this essay is equally appropriate for any treasured pet. To tell the truth, it's pretty great for humans, too.

While I am not able to include the full text of this little gem, I have excerpted a couple of paragraphs, including the final one.

I, Silverdene Emblem O'Neill ... because the burden of my years is heavy upon me, and I realize the end of my life is near, do hereby bury my last will and testament in the mind of my Master.
. . .

It will be sorrow to leave [my Master and Mistress] but not a sorrow to die. Dogs do not fear death as men do. We accept it as part of life, not as something alien and terrible which destroys life. What may come after death, who knows? I would like to believe ... that there is a Paradise where one is always young and full-bladdered ... where jack-rabbits that run fast but not too fast ... are as the sands of the desert; where each blissful hour is mealtime; where in long evenings there are a million fireplaces with logs forever burning and one curls oneself up and blinks into the flames and nods and dreams, remembering the old brave days on earth, and the love of one's Master and Mistress.
. . .

One last word of farewell, Dear Master and Mistress. Whenever you visit my grave, say to yourselves with regret but also with happiness in your hearts at the remembrance of my long happy life with you: "here lies one who loved us and whom we loved." No matter how deep my sleep I shall hear you, and not all the power of death can keep my spirit from wagging a grateful tail.

Note: The Amazon label reads "Very Distinguished Dog" but the actual title is "Extremely Distinguished Dog."