If you’ve ever had a pet pass away suddenly, you know that it is a heart-wrenching time. For many people, having the option to cremate a pet’s remains is truly a lifesaver because it can help ease the process of saying goodbye. For others, a beloved pet may show signs of an ailment, so the owner has time to prepare, as they will have time to take the pet to the vet. Many people faced with the option for euthanasia, report that their pet had his or her her own way of telling the human when he or she she was ready to go.
Having your pet’s life in your hands is both a very empowering and heart-breaking responsibility, but your pet will have his or her own way of telling you when it is time to go. Contemplating the death of your animal companion is very painful, but as they say, a part of living is dying. The more you can prepare yourself mentally for the death of your pet, the less decision-making you will have to go through during the time when you want to be grieving.
Cremation process
If you euthanize your pet at the vet, your vet will likely offer you the option for cremation for a small price. Pet cremation is becoming more and more common, but your vet is simply the middleman in the process. They will send your pet to a crematory operator, where your pet will be respected and cared for, like they do at this pet cremation facility, in Charlotte, North Carolina. With the demand of pet cremation on the rise, more and more crematories are opening their doors as options for pet owners. There are several different kinds of cremation options, so make sure you clarify with the crematory, so you aren’t paying more than you want to. Private cremations are the most expensive, but some crematories provide communal cremations that combine several animals in one chamber. The staff at your cremation facility will be kind, understanding people who will sympathize with you.
Why cremate?
You could bury you pet’s body, but the simplicity of cremation makes me ask, “why not cremate?!” Plus, some city ordinances may prohibit you from burying your pet in your backyard. Something else you may not have considered: if your pet is euthanized, the injection is toxic. If you bury your pet, these toxins are likely to leach into the earth and water table, introducing contaminants into our natural world. You can hold onto your pet’s ashes for as long as you want, either indefinitely to sit on a mantle or shelf in your home, always watching over you, or until you find a place to scatter them. Cremating your pet is a good option to honor your pet’s life and a way to let him or her live on in a literal and symbolic way. Ashes are basically calcium compounds that can be buried with a plant or tree, so your pets remains help another life grow. Scatter your pet’s ashes in a river or a hike that you liked to take him/her.
