Where will you go when the time comes to say good-bye to your beloved pet? Most people will go to their trusted Pet Care Provider who will hopefully usher them through this crossroads of emotion and decision making with love, support and dignity.
Surprisingly, this is not often the case. Recently when I picked up my dogs at the grooming salon, I was proudly showing the groomer our Soft-Hearted Pillow Pet Urn when the dear lady shared with me that when she lost her most recent dog, her husband handled everything as she was just too emotional. After spending nearly $350.00, it turned out that he had mistakenly ordered a mass cremation and they never did receive the ashes of their beloved pet. Since I founded Soft-Hearted Products, I have been surprised at the stories that I have heard about the lack of care and advice, rushed decision making and, unfortunately, the regrets that come from being unprepared for the options now available to the pet owner for the dispensation of their beloved pet’s remains.
While pet cemeteries have been available in many communities, burial within a pet cemetery can be a very expensive option. Many may still choose to bury their pet in the “back forty” but most communities now have very strict health department zoning restrictions on pet burial. Today families have become more mobile and may desire the ability to take their family pet’s remains with them if they re-locate. All are reasons that more and more pet owners are choosing cremation and as many as 70 percent of those owners are choosing to receive their pets ashes after the cremation. Just 10 years ago only 25 percent chose this option.
Knowing that cremation is your choice isn’t the last step in this decision. Many pet owners do not realize, as my poor dog groomer did not, that there is also a menu of options for the pet cremation. Pet cremation usually falls within three main categories; mass cremation, individual cremation and private cremation.
Mass Cremation – As the name implies this is the cremation of many animals at one time, within a single crematory session. Pet crematories can be very large with a capacity of several hundred to thousands of pounds of weight. These animals come from a variety of clinics, animal shelters, etc and when the cremation is completed the ashes are gathered and taken away to be disposed of by the crematory company, generally in their private landfill. This option should be the least expensive option for the pet owner and is a sanitary and decent way to dispose of the pet if retaining the ashes is not desired.
Individual Cremation – The individual cremation is a source of some confusion for pet owners and can be very deceiving. Individual cremation simply means that the ashes that are returned to the pet owner are intended to be only the ashes of their beloved pet. Generally with an individual pet cremation, the animal is tagged with a metal tag and placed within their own individual metal “tray” in the crematory. Depending upon the volume of the particular crematory there can be many animals within one session, however the animals are identified and separated. When the session is complete, the ashes are processed, bagged, and readied to be shipped back to the Pet Care Provider or individual pet owner depending on the circumstance of its arrival to the crematory. Many pet owners believe that an individual cremation means that their pet was cremated in a single session by itself and then given back to them as a guarantee that these ashes are their pets ashes alone. The only way to make absolutely sure that is the case is with the following option and that is the Private Cremation.
Private Cremation – A private cremation provides the option for the pet to be cremated entirely alone within the cremation chamber ensuring that there are no other ashes mixed within the pets ashes. Often there will be a tag with identifying numbers that will be placed on the pet and will go through the crematory process with him and returned with the obvious characteristics of the crematory process on the tag as an extra assurance. Many times the crematorium facilities will allow for a special blanket or toy to accompany the pet and some crematoriums now have waiting room facilities or facilities that allow for a witnessed private cremation. Private cremations are becoming more popular as pet funeral homes are beginning to pop up across our landscape. Pet funeral homes often can arrange for pick up of the pet at the private home or Pet Care Provider as well. Sixty five percent of private cremations are from Pet Care Provider affiliates so it is important to discuss with your Veterinarian what crematory company he has an affiliation with and/or does he have a pet funeral home that he would recommend if what you require is the absolute assurance that a Private Cremation will take place. The prices for these services should also be discussed in advance as they can vary greatly.
While it is a difficult subject to contemplate for every pet owner, it is best to be prepared with as much knowledge as possible before the time comes. Take the time to discuss your crematory options with your Pet Care Provider or with your local pet funeral home or crematory, make sure that you are clear on what it is they provide, have them describe their processes in detail and make sure that those services meet your expectations.
