AN online pet memorial service launched last year in Clonakilty has completed a total rebrand after discovering that the public had chosen a better name.

Retired garda Mick Hanly’s Rest Easy Friend website has enjoyed huge success since it launched but he has now changed its name to RIP for Pets (ripforpets.ie) as that is how it’s consistently referred to.

Mick admitted the company realised it was fighting a battle it could never win with Rest Easy Friend. He revealed: ‘We became victims of our own publicity. Whenever we introduced ourselves as Rest Easy Friend, we found ourselves explaining what it was.

‘As soon as we said “it’s like RIP.ie but for pets” everyone understood immediately. The media had already started calling us RIP for Pets and, before long, so was everyone else.’

The rebranding involved months of work and a significant investment, with virtually every aspect of the business requiring replacement or redesign. The website, promotional signage, business cards, brochures, exhibition displays and social media presence have all been updated to reflect the new name.

‘It wasn’t simply a logo change,’ said Mick. ‘We had to replace almost everything we had created since the launch. It was a major undertaking, but it now reflects how people already recognise and remember the service.’

While the change of name has been the most visible transformation, Mick said the rebranding process also prompted a fundamental rethink about who the company’s customers really are.

‘Originally, we saw our customers as bereaved pet owners,’ he explained. ‘But during the rebrand we came to the realisation that every pet owner may only need our service once or twice in their lifetime. But every one of us knows someone who has experienced the loss of a much-loved pet.’

As a result the company introduced gift vouchers which have proven hugely popular, allowing family, friends and colleagues to give a thoughtful and lasting gift when someone loses a loyal companion.

‘We realised our biggest market wasn’t necessarily people who had lost a pet, it was the people who knew someone who had,’ said Mick. ‘When someone loses a beloved pet, people genuinely want to express their sympathy, but they’re often unsure what to do.

‘A tribute gift voucher is a simple yet meaningful gesture that says ‘I’m thinking of you’. Unlike flowers or a sympathy card, it creates something permanent that can be treasured forever.’

RIP for Pets provides a permanent online memorial where the lives of companions can be celebrated and remembered through photographs, videos, stories and personal tributes. A standard tribute costs €25 as a once-off payment, with no subscription or recurring charges.

Rather than asking grieving owners to make immediate decisions, the voucher allows them to create an online memorial whenever they feel ready, adding photographs, videos, stories and cherished memories in their own time.

Mick is now in talks with a local vet practice which does home euthanasia in the hopes of creating a package for pet owners. He is also reaching out to animal rescue shelters offering a free tribute for animals in their care when they pass away.

‘They do great work and I’d be glad to put up a complimentary notice for them,’ he said.