Most people who call us about a pet memorial start the same way: they apologize. They say they know it’s just a dog, or just a cat, and they hope it isn’t strange to want a stone.

It isn’t strange. We get these calls regularly, and the reason is simple — you spent twelve or fourteen years with an animal who was there every single day, and now the house is quiet. Wanting somewhere to put that is normal.

Here’s what we can actually make, and what to expect.

What we make

Thin granite markers. A flat piece of granite, engraved, set flush in a garden or under a tree. These are the most common thing we do for pets. They’re small enough that most people can place them without help — you level a patch of ground, set the stone, and you’re done. Good choice if you want something permanent but understated.

Bone-shaped markers. Cut to shape rather than a rectangle. People either love these or find them too much, and both reactions are fine. They photograph well and they read clearly as a pet memorial from a distance, which some families want and others specifically don’t.

Full monuments. The same upright construction we use for human memorials, scaled appropriately. If you’re memorializing a horse, or you want something with real presence in a yard, this is the option. It needs a proper foundation and we’d set it for you.

Any of these can be plain — name and dates — or carry as much detail as you want.

Impact etching and photographs

We do impact etching, which means we can put a photograph of your pet directly into the stone. Not an approximation, not a line drawing. The actual picture.

It works best on darker granite, where the contrast is strongest. Send us the sharpest photo you have. A phone picture from the last few years is usually better than an old printed one, because we’re working from the detail in the file.

Families who do this tend to be glad they did. There’s a difference between reading a name and seeing the face.

What we’d suggest putting on it

Name, and dates if you want them. Past that, the memorials that land are the specific ones.

Not “beloved companion” — the tennis ball she never put down. The spot on the couch he wasn’t allowed on and slept on anyway. The greeting at the door that happened every day for a decade and then stopped.

You don’t need to write something perfect. One true sentence beats three polished ones. We’ll show you a proof before we cut anything, so there’s room to sit with it and change your mind.

Paw prints, breed silhouettes, and simple symbols are all straightforward for us to engrave if you’d rather have an image than words.

Where it goes

Most pet memorials go in a yard or garden. That’s the usual case and it’s easy — no cemetery rules to work around, no approval needed.

One thing worth thinking about before you order: granite is permanent, but your address might not be. If there’s any chance you’ll move, a smaller marker you can lift and take with you is the safer choice. We’ve had families come back years later wishing they’d sized it differently. Better to raise it now than have you find out later.

If your pet is buried at a cemetery that accepts animals, tell us which one and we’ll confirm their requirements before we start.

How long it takes

About two months from order to finished stone.

That’s longer than most people expect, and it’s worth explaining. Granite gets cut, shaped, and engraved, and we don’t rush that — a memorial that’s going to sit outside for the next thirty years shouldn’t be hurried through in a week. The proof stage alone usually takes a few passes as families work out the wording.

If the timing matters for a specific date — an anniversary, a birthday — tell us at the start and we’ll be straight with you about whether it’s realistic.

Getting started

Call or send us a message with a rough idea of what you’re thinking. You don’t need to have it figured out. Most people don’t at first.

We’ll talk through size and material, work up a design, and send you a proof to look at before anything gets cut. Once you approve it, we make it.

Goddard, Wichita, and the surrounding communities.