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Welcome to this mini-course on pet bereavement. We’ll be sending you regular information on how to help people who have lost their animal.
The course uses the expertise of our specialist team of pet bereavement counsellors. Week by week, you’ll learn how to work with people who are suffering from that sad event.
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Today I want to talk to you about the role of the pet bereavement counsellor, including the skills you need.
Losing a pet is a devastating experience, but there is still one further difficult issue to be addressed – how to dispose of your pet’s remains.
Prepare in advance
It might seem quite macabre, discussing how to dispose of your pet’s remains while it is still alive, but this is the best way to ensure that when the time comes, your family and you will be able to get it done acording you the way all of you are comfortable with. That way, you don’t end up taking an emotion-based decision that you may regret later. If possible, include your family members in the discussion, to avoid conflict later on.
Cremation Vs Burial: Reasons
With burial, the common preference is home burial, by far the most convenient and cheapest method. However, local laws sometimes do not permit this, so pet cemetery options need to be considered. If this is not viable, then cremation is the other option available.
Burial Options
If you conduct a home burial, the first and foremost important thing is to find out from the local authorities whether or not home burial is permitted in your city or town. Ensure that you dig to a depth of at least three feet. You should maintain hygiene at all times, by using gloves and a face mask and avoid eating or drinking during the process. You can get a regular coffin, or the following options are also useful to know:
Prepare in advance
- Small Pets: Small box or carton, cigar box, matchbox, shoebox or eyeglasses case.
- Medium Pets: Large carton, hat box laundry basket or any other sturdy basket.
- Large Pets: Barrel, Wooden chest, crate or trunk.
If you chose a cemetery burial, you would do well to ask lots of questions about the cemetery in question, and ensure that the property is dedicated cemetery property, for the continued peace of your beloved friend’s final resting place.
Process of cremation
Your pet is put in a chamber which is heated to about 1,400°C to 1,800°C which results in the remains being converted to ashes. This process takes about 30 minutes to 2 or 3 hours, depending on the size of the animal.
Cremation Options
There are choices you can make here:
- Private Cremation: Your pet will be placed in a separate chamber, and the ashes will be guaranteed to belong to your pet, only.
- Semi-private Cremation: Other animals are cremated in separate chambers, but there is a chance of some intermingling of ashes.
- Communal Cremation: Your pet is cremated along with several other animals. The ashes will be mixed, and will not be handed over to you after cremation.
Another possible option is to donate your pet’s body to science, where it will be used for the betterment of science by students. Your local vet will advise you regarding this.
Ultimately, how you dispose of your pet’s remains is your personal choice, but it is a difficult but inevitable decision, so you need to be prepared for this eventuality.
