The Value of Planning in Advance
The care of your pet’s remains after death is one of the last things you wish to think about while dealing with your grief. The shock and sorrow you feel from losing a pet is difficult to bear. However, after the death of your beloved companion, there is a decision you will need to make right away. “Aftercare” refers to how you would like your pet’s remains handled. As difficult as this may be to address, it is something you must do.
If your pet’s body is at your veterinarian’s office, they might be willing to hold the body for a day or two while you make the decision. However, in some cases, there is not a way to store your pet’s body and a decision must be made right away. After the handling of your pet’s remains, you may also wish to have a small funeral or memorial service to say goodbye to your dear companion.
If your pet dies at home (either naturally or by a scheduled euthanasia), knowing your options and what to expect can help you and your family cope with this difficult loss. Planning ahead for our pets, just as we do for ourselves and our loved ones, has many benefits and it’s easier to do when you are not feeling the grief of your loss.
Aftercare Options
Burial of a Pet
If feasible and zoning laws allow, many people prefer to bury their pet on their property. It is inexpensive and gives you easy access to visiting your pet’s grave. However, if you should move away you will probably no longer be able to visit the gravesite.
Pet Cemeteries
Pet cemeteries are becoming more and more available. It includes the purchase of a plot, casket and burial services very similar to those offered to humans.
Pet Cremation
Grief is a natural response to the death of a loved one. The feelings we have for our pets are so special. The loss of a pet is felt as deeply as the passing of any other member of the family. Rainbow Bridge Pet Services offer pet owners the means for saying goodbye to their beloved pet and keeping a part of them close by in memory.
Knowing what options there are for your pet’s cremation will allow you to make the best decision for your pet and your family. Unlike the human cremation profession, there is very little or no regulation when it comes to pet cremations. Thus, different providers might be using the same terminology but for different types of cremation services. Basically, there are 3 types of pet cremations:
- A “Private” cremation is a cremation procedure during which only one animal’s body is present in the cremation chamber during the cremation process and the cremated remains of the pet are to be returned to its owner.
- A “Semi-Private” or also referred to as “Individual” or “Partitioned” is a cremation procedure during which more than one animal’s body is present in the cremation chamber and the cremated remains of specific pets are to be returned to the owner. Each pet will have its own private segregated section within the cremation chamber during the cremation process. This type of cremation procedure is what most pet crematories call an Individual Cremation. Please note: Due to a number of factors and by virtue of multiple pets being cremated within the same chamber, active commingling of cremated remains can occur.
- A “Communal or Batch” is a cremation procedure where multiple pets are cremated together without any form of separation. These commingled cremated remains are not returned to the owners.
Because of the lack of regulation, it is important for you to ask your pet cremation provider what they mean when they use terms like “private cremation” or “individual cremation”. It is our experience that most pet cremation providers charge extra fees for private pet cremation.
At Rainbow Bridge Pet Services, unless otherwise requested by a veterinarian or client, all of our pet cremations are private (one animal in one process). Private cremation means your pet’s ashes are not mixed with other animals and they are handed over to you after the process is complete. We can accommodate private cremations for dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, ferrets, exotics and other small pets up to 150 pounds.
We Are Available To You 24 Hours A Day at (703) 973-5088.
Veterinarian Disposal of Pet Remains
Most veterinarians and their staff are compassionate and sensitive to your pain in making the decision to put your pet down. A veterinarian normally will give you an opportunity to say goodbye to your pet and will ask you what you want done with your deceased pet. If you choose to leave your pet with the veterinarian, they will place your pet in a freezer for storage, in many cases for a week or longer, until that vet’s cremation provider collects for cremation and disposal.
