Hunkydory *paper products Over the centuries the human race has developed a socially acceptable process for mourning the loss of a loved one. Only recently has society begun to recognize the need for that same process in mourning the loss of a beloved pet. At the loss of a human loved one, we make phone calls to inform family and friends, place an obituary, arrange a formal burial and accept verbal and written condolences. Yet for those of us who view our pets as our children, which is currently about 35% of pet owners according to a Unity Marketing study on It was out of this dichotomy that my husband, Stephen and I created a company that would market items to support and recognize the incredible bond we have with our pets. Hunkydory *paper products is not so much a business as it is an extension of our lifestyle, which includes six pets who we consider our children- Salvador and Truman, our longhaired Dachshunds; Isabella, Ming and Mr. Chang, our three rescued cats and Gill, the goldfish. My story begins on February 2, 1999 at 6:01 AM when I lost the love of my life. Polo was a sixteen year old, red, smooth haired Dachshund. I got him during my senior year of high school, after the loss of another beloved pet. Polo was my steadfast companion throughout college. He scared away a burglar, pulled me along the trials, and gave me strength when I wanted to give up. Polo moved with me throughout my post college years always giving my life a sense of continuity. When I married Stephen, he reluctantly accepted the fact that he would always came second to Polo. Polo knew how to comfort me when I was sad, sick or lonely by his calm presence, ever constant loyalty and his delight at my mere existence. In January of 1999, Polo had an accident while doing what he loved best, hunting for rats in an ol I received a few cards - some human sympathy, some pet sympathy. All were completely inadequate in empathizing with the pain I felt. Then came the months when I was asked “Where’s Polo? He goes everywhere with you. Is he okay?” No matter how briefly I retold the story, my heart would begin sobbing again. I repeated that painful scenario for several years after Polo’s death, each as painful as the one before. Time and a lot of loving support have helped me to begin to heal that pain. I now know the spot Polo held in my heart will always belong to him and death can’t take that away from me. When Stephen and I decided to create a line of greeting cards specifically for pet lovers, the first idea that was born appropriately was a sympathy card. The kind that would have given me the knowledge that my mourning, over Polo’s passing, was accepted and recognized by the giver. The image we shot was of a lone dog collar laying on an empty dog bed. Inside the card reads “Sorry for your loss.” This card was in the marketplace for only 5 months when it was nominated for a Louie Award by the greeting card industry. Two months later it won the distinction Best Sympathy Card of 2001. The amazing thing was that it was the only pet specific card to win an award and it competed against a line up of all human sympathy cards. It was a proud moment for Stephen and me as our company’s honor brought recognition to that special bond we and many others have with our pets. Since the inception of Hunkydory we have created cards that celebrate pet birthdays, the arrival of a new pet, thank you from a pet and humorous everyday cards that can be sent from one pet lover to another. But this month we are launching another product that my loss of Polo has inspired, “Bereavement Announcements”. These announcements are another way to bring validity to our losses. The cards can be sent to friends and family to let them know your beloved pet has passed away and to thank them for being part of your pet’s life. I believe that if I had been able to send bereavement announcements after Polo’s death it would have spared me the questions and helped speed my healing process. My story is not unique, it takes place everyday, maybe even you have experienced the loss of a beloved pet. Certainly the numerous pet lovers, who have shared their experiences with me since we have began to develop the concept of a bereavement announcement, have. Each of their stories speak of grief and loneliness, both from the loss of their pet and from their lost connection with a society who views their pain as trivial. As Hunkydory develops products like sympathy cards and bereavement announcements, we are attemping to fill a void in appropriately addressing the human-pet relationship. Our hope is to draw our society closer to the acceptance and respect that should be part of every mourning process. Peggy Dial |
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