It might sound silly to hold a funeral for a dog – but it helped our kids accept that he had gone With pet funerals an increasingly widespread custom, a mother explains why it felt an appropriate send-off for the beloved family dog Geoff, Honey, Blossom and Kelly Walker gave their dog, Sonny Jim, a meaningful farewell Credit: Christopher Pledger ‘When’s Jimmy coming back, Mummy? When’s Jimmy coming back?” Sonny Jim – Jimmy to his nearest and dearest – was the beloved pet dog of the Walker family. Kelly and Geoff, an early years teacher and the owner of a music agency, had bought him in 2007 from a breeder in Northumberland. A show cocker spaniel with a friendly nature, Sonny Jim was the darling of Kelly and Geoff’s friends and neighbours.