References Close,WRITTEN BYLeslie Gillette, DVM Veterinarian Dr. Leslie Gillette graduated from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 1998. After 12 years of small animal…,Coping with the loss of a pet can be devastating. In addition to grieving the loss, you’re also faced with the decision of what to do with your pet’s remains. Home burial and pet burial services used to be the most common options for pet owners. But in recent years, pet aftercare has evolved to include alternative options to honor and memorialize the lives of our beloved companions, including cremation, aquamation, and green burial in eco-friendly and pet-inclusive whole-family cemeteries. Knowing your options can help make the decision easier when the time comes. Pet Cremation One of the most common options for deceased pet care is cremation. What’s involved in the process of cremation? Traditional cremation applies extremely high heat (usually 1,500 –2,000° F) to a body placed in a cremation chamber, reducing the soft tissue and skeletal remains to ashes. The process does not take long—usually 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the size of the pet. Does the vet perform the cremation? Veterinary clinics typically do not provide on-site cremation services, as a crematorium requires specialized equipment and operational permits issued by both state and local governing bodies. Most veterinarians work with a reputable pet cremation service in their area. After a euthanasia has been performed, the veterinary staff will contact the crematorium to schedule a pickup of the pet’s body. If you’ve requested private cremation, where you have your pet’s ashes returned to you, the veterinary team can help you select an urn, and they will notify you when your pet’s ashes have been returned to the veterinary clinic. If you choose to handle cremation arrangements on your own, spend time researching companies through organizations such as the International Association of Pet Cemeteries and Crematories (IAOPCC). IAOPCC members are required to maintain a strict code of ethics and operating standards for pet aftercare, burial, and cremation services. What is private vs. communal pet cremation? With communal cremation, multiple pets are cremated together, which means their ashes will also be mixed together. You will not usually get your pet’s ashes back after communal cremation, as there is no way to separate the ash remains. Private cremation is the preferred option for pet parents who would like their pet’s ashes returned. If your pet has any orthopedic hardware or dental implants or was wearing any collars or tags, those will be collected and added to the cremains before returning the urn to the veterinary clinic. Microchips are usually not heat-resistant enough to withstand cremation and will typically disintegrate during the process. It typically takes 1-2 weeks for your pet’s ashes to be returned. The crematorium staff delivers all private cremains to the veterinary clinic, and the veterinary staff will notify you that the cremains are ready for pickup. Cremains may be returned in either a permanently sealed urn or an urn that can be opened if you wish to spread your pet’s ashes. Aside from scattering ashes, they can also be crafted into art and jewelry as reminders of the bond you shared with your pet. If you and your pet shared a love of the outdoors, you may consider having your pet’s ashes added to a living coral reef. The ashes can be crafted into a memorial stone and placed in the reef with a plaque or included in a larger family plaque. The ashes can also be scattered in open water with a memorial plaque installed at the reef site. What are the costs for private and communal cremation? Are there extra costs for larger pets? Communal cremation is the least expensive option, usually running between $50 and $200 depending on the size of the pet. Private cremation costs are higher due to the individualized nature of the service. They may run anywhere from $150 to $450, depending on the size of the pet, and this does not necessarily include the cost of the urn. Livestock and horses would have to be specially transported to a facility that can accommodate larger animals, so additional transport and delivery fees are to be expected in addition to the cost of the cremation itself. Is cremation eco-friendly? Traditional cremation is not an eco-friendly process. Incineration of any solid material produces a significant amount of waste gases, including carbon dioxide, and requires a tremendous amount of energy to operate at such high temperatures. There are several new environmentally friendly cremation options that are becoming more widely available for customers, including aquamation (also called resomation) and cryomation. These alternatives still yield a small amount of solid ash residue but require much less energy to perform and leave a much smaller carbon footprint.
