The decision to euthanize is the most difficult choice you will have to make for your pet. Euthanasia is a gift that shows caring through the prevention of unnecessary suffering. Making decisions regarding quality of life can be personal in many ways. Our goal is to help you determine the quality of life for your pet by providing a physical exam and discussing the difficulties your pet faces on a daily basis. If we believe that euthanasia is the kindest option, we can offer euthanasia in our hospital.
The decision on aftercare is personal for every family and we offer several options.
Private Pet Cremation Services
Private cremation includes the individual cremation of your pet at Pet Memorial Services and return of their ashes in a wooden urn to our hospital.
Communal Cremation
During a communal cremation, multiple pets are cremated together, and the remains are buried at a pet cemetery.
Burial
You can elect to take your pet’s remains home with you. Some families will elect home burial. Other families will contact local pet cemeteries for burial options. Below are some tips that we have found useful for families:
- Bundle your pet’s body in a blanket, pillow case, or t-shirt which will allow for the natural process of absorption back into the earth. Avoid plastic.
- Check in with your county for restrictions
- Be careful and know where gas lines and water lines may be buried. Call your local utility office to mark your yard if needed.
- We recommend a grave between 3 to 5 feet with a minimum of 2 feet of soil on top of your pet’s body.
- The medication used to euthanize your pet can be deadly to other animals if ingested. To reduce risks of digging, use a headstone to mark the grave.
- If you plan on a delayed burial, we recommend placing the body in an airtight plastic container and place in a cool space (refrigerator or freezer)
- Lime powder can be sprinkled on the bottom and top of the grave to help reduce odor.
- Consider future building additions when you choose a location