In 2011, the pet care industry in the U.S. was worth about $52.87 billion. Yes, that is billion. In dollars. If that number sounds ridiculous to you, think of how many pets you currently own and how much you spend each year to care for them, keep them clean and fed, and keep them entertained. It all adds up, probably more than you would think. Then multiply that number by how many people live in the country, taking into account the statistic that 39 percent of U.S. households today own at least one dog and that 33 percent own at least one cat, and you see how this number suddenly makes perfect sense.

We love our pets, and we do our best to care for them, so this number is more representative than we think of how much we are willing to spend on our beloved animals when they are with us. But after they have passed on, how does that change how we remember them and what we spend to remember them? Not very much, as it would turn out, because pet grave markers and gravestones for pets is serious business. These are simple ways to remember our pets long after they have left us. And pet grave markers are not the sole ways to do this, though they are among the most popular. Across the country, there exist at least 700 aftercare facilities for pets, including cemeteries, crematories, and funeral homes.

With headstones for pets, engravings can be made and carved right onto the stone, signifying our beloved animals’ names and years of both birth and death. Engraved pet stones also are normally made from unique river stones and not standard ones, and so they have a uniqueness to them that makes them entirely different and utterly stunning in their appearance. These engravings both show our love for our animals and they add a certain beauty to our yards and our homes, symbolizing the love of a lost pet but demonstrating the lasting love that goes on after a pet has died.

With pet grave markers, we get to visit our pets regularly and honor their memories. Through pet grave markers, we get the chance to keep their memories fresh in our lives, in a good way. And with pet grave markers, we can bury our pets on our properties and know precisely where they are located, both to pay visits and to make necessary arrangements should we choose to move years down the road.