Options when a pet passes

longwalks1

What options are there for when our beloved dog passes? 

She’s 13 1/2 and is like a child to me (I don’t have children) I’m going to be devastated when the time comes.  I remember grandparents burying their dogs in the garden but we will be moving one day, so that’s not an option.

cremation, But I have heard from contractors who’ve worked at crematoriums that you may not get just your pets ashes back, and it’s often a group cremation.

my partner wants a ring with some ashes in it so she comes everywhere with us.  How can I be sure we get just our beloveds ashes back?

strange question I know

marlot

Everyone is different.  For me, the only thing that mattered was holding my dog when she was given her injection.  She initially fell into a deep sleep - indeed snoring.  It prolonged things more than I liked, but it was strangely lovely hearing her out of pain.

I only wanted her collar back.  It smelled of her for a time.

On cremation, you can have individual or communal.  eg. https://www.petcremations.co.uk/pet-cremation-cost-price-list/

Or there is at least one cemetery https://sleepymeadow.co.uk/

Savvy_Sue

longwalks1 said:

strange question I know

That doesn't seem like a strange question at all. And to add to it, I can't see why one of the places which turns human ashes into jewellery wouldn't be able to do it with pet ashes. 

kimwp

My cat died earlier this year, a beloved pet is family. They offered individual cremation and her ashes came with a certificate to confirm that had happened. 

I had asked all the questions I had thought to ask , but hadn't realised that before she had the injection, I had to choose what her ashes would be returned to me in. Happily I had thought about it and something they offered matched this (I wanted a painting of her with her ashes in the paint, alongside her pawprints and a visual of her purring - they offered an oak frame with three photo spaces and a space for the ashes at the back.) It's still on the dining table with no photos, I can't bring myself to do anything with it or tidy away the socks she used to carry round the house.

They also gave me the option to take her body home and to the crematorium myself.

Something else to know is that your dog may sigh after she's passed, which is just air leaving their lungs. They told me before that this would happen, but it still gave me moments of hope and realisation.

marcia_

 I lost my cat to a huge tumour about 6 months ago. The vet gave me 3 options. One to get him cremated and get his ashes in a wooden box. Two to bury him at home or 3 leave him in the vets where he could help students with research, it's a university veterinary practice. I would have liked the students to learn more and possibly find out the cause of death but couldn't bring myself to do that. I opted for cremation. However I when it came to it it cost £350, £200 more than the vet said it would cost. I paid but didn't eat he rest of the month. 

YBR

There were a few cats just buried in the back garden of the house I grew up in. Not marked, just dug deep (foxes), looking back we were not sentimental about pets. I'm not bothered by having moved far away and they're deep enough that they wouldn't be dug up accidentality.

Our last cat was put to sleep at the vets - I don't think I paid for a cremation, just "reverently disposed of" or some phrase like that, didn't get ashes back. Again much loved but not in the way of a surrogate child.

Sounds from your post that you'd want something by way of memorial so these options might not suit you.

Other posters have suggested options for that.

Saffagal

I had to have my cat put down 3 weeks ago.
 The vet gave me the option of taking her home to bury, a group cremation where you don't receive ashes back or individual cremation where you do receive the ashes.
We chose individual cremation and I collected her ashes from the vets this past week. The total cost for the vet appointment, euthanasia and a private cremation was £366. 
Group cremation or taking her home to bury would have cost less but weren't right for our family. 

BargainJunky

Years ago our old dog was put to sleep at the vet, then taken for a private cremation and returned to us in a few days later.  I still have the cardboard box with the plastic tub inside containing her ashes on top of the cupboard as I have not had the courage to do anything with it.  I was of the opinion that I still had her until I scatter her ashes.

We currently have an elderly staffy who we rehomed four years ago when my best friend was terminally ill.  Sadly she is suffering from what we think is doggy dementia and at some time in the not too distant future I think we will have to make a difficult decision.  Not sure what we will do but she will probably be put to sleep at home and then taken for private cremation then she will go on top of the cupboard until I pluck up the courage to scatter both of them.

ladyholly

All our dogs(5 so far) have been cremated singly and we have them in cardboard boxes at home where they will hopefully come with us when we go. The males with my husband and the females with me. We currently have what will almost certainly be our last dog and as he is a male that will be 3 each.

PoGee

There is a company that can send ashes (human or animal) ashes into space. I think they sort the cremation out also but not too sure on that.

Our elderly cat had to be put down during COVID. She had an individual cremation - I hope it was just her ashes we received back.

It's never easy when that time arrives.

Murphybear

We lost our cat 2 years ago.  We decided we didn’t want her ashes.  I have many photos and a few videos of her on my iPad plus she is my MSE avatar 

ps when she was obviously failing I posted the details on here and the amount of support I got was amazing.  She was 20 which is a great age for a cat.