Rest Easy Friend, a platform reminiscent of rip.ie, but for pets, was created by West Cork native Mick Hanly. Many believe it serves as a heartfelt way to honour and remember our beloved pets who have passed away. We often hear the phrase “it’s not just a pet”, and that’s absolutely true. Research shows that the grief of losing a pet can mirror, or even surpass, the loss of a family member. Dogs Trust Ireland found that over half of dog owners described their grief as equal to or worse than losing a loved one, while nearly 40% admitted they were shocked at how deeply it affected them.
They’re the ones waiting at the door when you come home, always thrilled to see you, always ready with unconditional love. So when that bond is broken, the loss is huge.
And yet, unlike human loss, pet grief is often overlooked. Psychologists note the lack of rituals or social support around losing a pet can leave owners feeling isolated in their pain. Which is why one man from Clonakilty, West Cork, has set out to change that.
Mick Hanly, a retired Garda who has lived in Clonakilty since 1993, is the creator of Rest Easy Friend, the new online platform where owners can pay tribute to pets who have passed away.
“I got the idea during Covid,” Mick explains. “When social interaction ended, funerals ended, and everything went online. All people could do to grieve was go on RIP.ie” I recognised the overlooked grief of animal loss and thought, surely somebody has done something about this”.
“Pets are like best friends, and for some people who don’t have family, they are family members. But people don’t actually have an opportunity to express their grief.”
Mick explained a few years had gone and I thought about the idea again “ I looked up the domain name and there was still nothing there” That’s when Rest Easy Friend was born.
The name, Mick says, came naturally. “It’s always associated with animals passing. It just fit.”
Getting the site up and running was on his “bucket list.” as he returns to a quote by Horace Mann, “It would be a shame to die until you have won some victory for humanity.” For Mick, “I think this will be a victory for pet owners.”
Of course, building something new comes with its challenges. “I spent the past year making mistakes, but they are lessons for the future,” Mick admits. “But now it is better than I ever hoped for.”
For Mick, building the site was about creating a platform, not a community. “It wasn’t to bring people together. It was simply to give people the chance to pay tribute to their beloved pets.” For €25, a tribute lives on the site for 12 months. Owners can add their pet’s photo and story, while friends and family can leave supportive comments, which are carefully monitored to protect grieving owners.
And the response so far has been overwhelmingly positive. “I thought there would be a lot more backlash,” Mick admits. “But 99.9% of the comments are very good. Of course, there’ll always be one, but the people leaving kind words are the ones that matter. They’re the reason I built this.”
The project, however, wasn’t without its challenges. “I spent the past year making mistakes but they were lessons for the future,” he says. “Now, it’s better than I ever hoped for.”
And the platform continues to evolve. “Only the other day, someone asked me for a gift voucher so they could give it to a friend whose dog had just passed. I honestly think in six months’ time it could change again.”
Losing a pet also sparks a bigger question that more and more people are starting to ask – should bereavement leave cover pet owners too?
Some workplaces are beginning to acknowledge just how big that loss really is. Back in 2023, Dogs Trust Ireland even called for compassionate leave to be introduced for staff who were grieving the loss of a beloved pet, recognising just how deep that heartbreak can cut.
When asked about it, Mick is humble. “I am not an expert and that wouldn’t be my field,” he admits. What he has done, though, is make sure that people who are struggling have somewhere to turn. “There is advice on the platform to support and how you can cope with grief.”
At its core, Rest Easy Friend is a space to honour the deep, enduring bonds people have with their pets. “I’m not defining what a pet is,” Mick says. “This is for the owners.for who ever they have lost to play tribute to them”
In a world where pet grief is too often minimised, Mick Hanley has built something that validates it, as a reminder that the love we share with our pets deserves to be remembered.
https://www.resteasyfriend.com
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