Pay tribute to a beloved pet on the Outer Banks Voice

By on January 6, 2026

(iStock)

By Mark Jurkowitz  |Outer Banks Voice

Every owner knows that when your pet crosses the Rainbow Bridge, you have lost not only a loyal companion, but a beloved family member. Now, we would like to offer readers the chance to memorialize and honor them by publishing a “Pet Tribute” on the Voice.

If you’re interested, it’s easy to do.  Submit your tribute, which can range from 150 to 400 words, to m.jurkowitz@yahoo.com along with a favorite photo of your pet. Any editing by the Voice, if necessary, would be limited to basic grammatical and spelling issues. Make sure to include your name with the tribute so we can identify the owner for our readers.

We will post every tribute individually and they will remain accessible on our website.

There is a saying in journalism, that has more than a grain of truth to it, that “news is something that happens to or near an editor.” Sadly, we lost our 12-year-old miniature schnauzer “Smokey” this past summer. This past week, we adopted “Bandit,” a 6-year-old beagle, from the OBX SPCA Shelter, whose staff made the experience easy and enjoyable. “Bandit” is already settling in as the newest member of the family. But that doesn’t mean we will ever forget “Smokey.”

Comments

  • M. Thompson

    Thank you for offering this, it truly is wonderful to see this new tribute page. It is so hard dealing with the loss of a pet. To so many people, like myself, their pets are their family members and furry children. They deserve to be honored and memorialized with the same respect and love they had while they were here on earth, giving us their unconditional love.

    January 17, 2026 @ 5:15 pm

  • Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice

    We agree.

    January 17, 2026 @ 8:05 pm