What Do I Do After My Dog Passes?
Losing a dog is something that many dog lovers go through multiple times in their life. It’s something that can have an extremely high emotional toll and grief can, at times, seem overwhelming.
In addition to dealing with the roller coaster of emotions, important decisions need to quickly be made about your dog. Cremation or burial? If cremation, private or communal? If burial, where and how? Most veterinary clinics will hold your dog in refrigeration to give you a few days to figure out what you want to do.
If you choose burial, first make sure you let the veterinarian know. Depending on how your dog passed, they can position your dog in such a way right after passing that makes it easier to fit in a casket. Then, go online and check the reviews of local pet cemeteries. Pay them a visit and ask questions. Find out if they charge ongoing fees-or if it’s all paid for up-front, and who owns the land and how they can guarantee it will remain a pet cemetery. Also, ask about their options for caskets (and if you can bring in your own casket, which can save you money), markers, etc. Avoid the pet cemeteries who keep trying to up-sell you and try to find one who are pet lovers themselves. As for casket options, there are many, however, one to consider is a Paws Rest Premium Pet Casket. They make human quality wood caskets designed for pets with a very high number of excellent, 5 star reviews online.
If you choose cremation for your dog, ask your veterinarian who they recommend (many will say they can handle everything for you on a cremation, however, may up-charge you for this service). Then also do your homework online and check out reviews of the pet crematory they use as well as alternative local pet crematories. Many people are now opting to visit the local pet crematory directly with their dog instead of going through their veterinarian. That way, they can speak with the crematory operators and ask questions that a vet clinic typically can’t answer – how can I be ensured that the cremated remains I get back are my dog? Private cremation vs. communal? Viewing vs. no viewing?
Once you decide where and how to cremate, next is figuring out what to do with your beloved dog’s ashes after the cremation is performed. There are virtually endless dog urns for cremation and trying to sift through them online can feel overwhelming. The key will be to narrow your focus and only search for that type of dog urn that you want – do you want a ceramic urn? Traditional wood dog urn? Artistic urn? Or, an alternative urn? One example, that’s gaining in popularity is called The Living Urn. It’s a tree urn for pets that gives you the ability to grow a living memorial tree, plant, or flowers from your dog’s ashes. The customer reviews of this bio urn for pets are extremely positive and it’s something that can be a great alternative to the “traditional” dog cremation urn.
Another, new option that’s gaining interest is called Eco-Scattering, an eco-friendly, all natural scattering tube made from bamboo. It can be used to scatter your dog’s ashes at a favorite place of your choosing, or can be buried as an eco-friendly cremation urn.