Losing a pet is an incredibly painful experience. While dealing with the emotional distress of saying goodbye, you may also be faced with making immediate decisions about what to do next. One of the most important, and often overlooked, aspects of pet loss is deciding how to handle your pet’s remains. Many pet owners find themselves unprepared when their veterinarian asks, “What would you like to do with your pet’s body?” This moment of grief is far from ideal for making rational and informed choices. However, considering your options beforehand can provide peace of mind and ensure you make a decision that truly honors your beloved companion.
Thinking about the disposition of your pet’s remains while they are still with you might seem premature, but it is actually a responsible and loving approach. Pre-planning allows you to explore all available options without the pressure of immediate grief, ensuring that your decision aligns with your feelings, beliefs, and practical considerations. Ultimately, the goal is to choose a path that helps you preserve the precious memories of your pet in a way that feels meaningful and respectful.
Understanding Your Options for Pet Remains
When faced with the passing of a pet, several options are available for handling their remains. Each choice offers a different way to say farewell and can contribute to the grieving process. Let’s explore the most common options:
1. Home Burial: Keeping Your Pet Close
For many pet owners, the idea of burying their pet at home is comforting. It offers a sense of closeness and allows your pet to remain in a familiar and loved environment. Home burial can also be a meaningful way for families to create a personal funeral or memorial service, providing a valuable step in the healing process. Some pet owners believe that their surviving pets sense the presence of their departed companion when buried at home, sometimes visiting the burial site.
Home burial offers the opportunity to create a lasting memorial. This could be a simple grave marker, a decorative statue, or even planting a tree or flowers over the burial site, creating a living tribute to your pet. Choosing a spot where your pet loved to rest, like under a favorite tree or shrub, can add another layer of personal significance.
However, home burial isn’t always feasible or appropriate. Consider these limitations:
- Space Restrictions: You must have suitable land to bury your pet, and digging a grave deep enough to prevent disturbance by animals or erosion is essential.
- Local Regulations: Many cities and municipalities have regulations or prohibitions regarding pet burials on private property. It’s crucial to check local ordinances before proceeding.
- Property Ownership: If you rent your home or plan to move in the future, home burial might not be a practical long-term solution, as you may have to leave your pet’s resting place behind.
- Health and Environmental Concerns: Ensure the burial site is not near water sources or areas that could be disturbed by future landscaping or construction.
2. Cremation: A Versatile and Popular Choice
Cremation has become an increasingly popular choice for pet owners. It offers flexibility and several options for memorializing your pet. Cremation reduces the body to ashes, which can then be handled in various ways.
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Ashes Returned Home: Many pet owners choose to have their pet cremated and have the ashes returned to them. This allows you to keep your pet “at home” in a sense, even if burial isn’t possible or desired. The cremains can be buried in your yard, placed in a decorative urn, or kept in another meaningful container. Pet supply stores and online retailers offer a wide variety of urns and memorial products.
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Scattering Ashes: Another common option is to scatter your pet’s ashes. Some choose to scatter them in their own garden, a place where their pet loved to spend time. This can feel like bringing your pet “home” one last time. Others opt for locations that symbolize freedom and a final journey, such as a favorite park, woods, over water, or simply letting the wind carry them away.
Pet crematories are widely available in most areas, and many offer pick-up services from veterinary clinics or homes. Some veterinarians also provide cremation services, sometimes at no extra cost if they have performed euthanasia or if the pet passes away at their clinic. It’s wise to inquire about cremation services with your veterinarian in advance.
3. Pet Cemetery Burial: A Formal and Lasting Resting Place
Pet cemeteries offer a formal and dedicated final resting place for your beloved animals. Found in nearly every state, these cemeteries provide a tranquil and respectful setting for burial. For many, a pet cemetery burial feels like a more dignified and permanent tribute than home burial.
Burial in a pet cemetery ensures that your pet’s remains will remain undisturbed and cared for in perpetuity. This can be particularly comforting for owners who want long-term peace of mind, knowing their pet’s resting place is secure, regardless of personal life changes or relocation.
Pet cemeteries typically offer pick-up services and can arrange complete funeral and memorial services if desired. Cemetery burial can be a more expensive option compared to home burial or cremation, but many find the security and formal setting worth the cost.
4. Veterinary Clinic or Humane Society Disposal: A Simple and Practical Option
For some pet owners, especially those who view the physical body as merely a vessel for the spirit, the most practical option is to allow their veterinarian or local humane society to handle the disposal of their pet’s remains.
If your pet passes away at a veterinary clinic or is euthanized there, you can often request that the clinic handle the remains. Veterinarians usually have arrangements for cremation or burial through specialized services. Similarly, humane societies often have systems in place to receive and dispose of animal remains, sometimes offering this service at no charge. Some humane societies may have designated drop-off areas.
While this option is convenient and often cost-effective, it’s essential to understand that you may not have control over the specific method of disposal if you choose this route. If you have a preference for cremation, be sure to specifically request this service from your veterinarian or inquire if the humane society offers it.
Factors to Consider When Making Your Decision
Choosing what to do with your pet’s remains is a deeply personal decision influenced by various factors. Consider these elements to help guide your choice:
Personal Beliefs and Feelings
Your individual beliefs about death, loss, and remembrance play a significant role. Reflect on what feels most meaningful to you in honoring your pet’s life. Do you find comfort in the idea of a physical resting place, or is preserving memories and the spirit of your pet more important? Your personal feelings should be the primary driver in your decision.
Family Decisions and Needs
If you live with family members, especially children, involve them in the decision-making process. Different family members may have varying beliefs and needs regarding pet remains. Open communication and respecting everyone’s feelings are crucial. Some family members might desire a formal burial, while others may prefer cremation or a simpler approach. Reaching a consensus as a family ensures everyone feels comfortable and supported in the grieving process.
Legal and Practical Considerations
Be aware of any local laws or regulations regarding pet burial, particularly home burial. If you rent your home, check your lease agreement and local ordinances. Consider the practicalities of each option, such as your ability to dig a grave, the costs associated with cremation or cemetery burial, and your long-term plans regarding your property.
Cost
The cost of different options varies significantly. Veterinary disposal may be the least expensive, while pet cemetery burial is generally the most costly. Cremation costs can vary depending on whether it is private (individual cremation) or communal (cremation with other animals) and the services included. Home burial has minimal direct costs but requires physical effort. Factor in your budget and consider what you feel is a worthwhile investment in honoring your pet’s memory.
Pre-planning and Communication are Key
The most important step is to consider these options and discuss them with your family before you are faced with the immediate loss of your pet. Thinking about “What To Do With Pet Remains” in advance, while your pet is still healthy and by your side, is not morbid but proactive and caring.
Having these conversations beforehand allows you to make a thoughtful, informed decision without the added stress of grief. Communicate your wishes to your veterinarian and family members, ensuring everyone is aware of your preferences. Pre-planning brings peace of mind, knowing you have considered this important aspect of pet ownership and will be prepared to honor your companion in a way that feels right when the time comes.
Ultimately, there is no right or wrong answer when deciding what to do with your pet’s remains. The most important thing is to choose an option that provides you and your family with comfort and helps you celebrate the life and love you shared with your cherished pet. Focus on creating a meaningful farewell that honors your bond and supports your journey through grief.
