• In many homes, pets are considered members of the family.boy visiting a cemetery for pets image by L. Shat from Fotolia.com
  
  The loss of a pet can be devastating. Choosing a monument to remember your pet can help with the healing process and provide a designated grave site to visit. Pet owners in the Sterling Heights, Mich., area have access to a variety of options when selecting a pet monument. From monuments purchased at pet stores to specially ordered memorial stones, pet monuments can be customized to fit the tastes and budget of the buyer.
  
  

Inch Memorials

• Located in Northville, Mich., just a 20-minute drive from Sterling Heights, Inch Memorials produces monuments that can be designed to commemorate the life of most any family pet. Monuments vary from small, simple designs that can be used to hold the ashes of a pet that has been cremated, to larger, more elaborate monuments that can be used as a grave marker for burial in the family yard or in a pet cemetery. Markers are available in porcelain, bronze or granite, and can be inscribed with just the pet's name or a personal message of remembrance. In addition to size, messaging and material selections, photographs of the family pet may be added to the monument at request.
  
  

Petco

• Petco, a national pet care chain, offers a variety of monuments that can be ordered from its retail location in Sterling Heights. Pet monuments can be purchased in most any shape and size, and can be inscribed with the pet's name or a personal message. All pet monuments are made of granite and come in the buyer's choice of colors, including black, brown, gray, pink, red or tan. All messages are laser engraved, and the stone is polished to a glossy finish. Memorial monuments can be picked up at Petco's Sterling Heights location or shipped to the buyer's home.
  
  

Lincoln Granite

• Located just five miles outside of Sterling Heights in the village of Clinton Township, Lincoln Granite of Macomb County offers a wide variety of pet monuments. Memorial monuments can be ordered in a variety of shapes and sizes for use as a memorial in the home or as a marker in the family yard or pet cemetery. Pet monuments are available in bronze-plated plaques or heavy granite designs, and can be customized to include the name, date of birth, date of death, or personal message of remembrance. Photographs of the pet can also be included on the monument if requested.