{"title":"Aftercare: What to do with Your Pet","description":"\u003ch1\u003eAftercare: What to do with Your Pet After Death\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cimg alt=\"Woman and dog\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0709\/9819\/6355\/files\/woman-holding-pet-dog.jpg?v=1772727484\" style=\"float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;\"\u003eOur\n family was heartbroken when Sophie was diagnosed with  kidney failure. \n The 10-year-old cocker  spaniel had been our constant companion and a \nloyal friend, and it was painful  to watch her suffer.  After my wife \nand I  made the difficult decision to have Sophie euthanized, we weren't\n sure what to  do next.  Should we bury her or have her  cremated?  Our \n8-year-old son wanted to  have a funeral for her.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tWe were overwhelmed with decisions.  Even \nafter we found out that Sophie was sick,  we really hadn't planned for \nSophie's aftercare.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tMaking choices about what to do with your \npet's body ahead  of time can take some of the stress out of a difficult\n time.  The guide below offers some basic information  on some of the \nmost common pet aftercare choices.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePet Cremation\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tCremation is the most popular choice for pet owners.  Some pet owners take comfort in keeping their  pet's ashes, or cremains,\n as a  remembrance.  Cremation offers grieving  pet owners a little more\n flexibility than burial:  Cremains returned to owners can be kept in  \ndecorative \n\t\u003ca href=\"\/pet-urns-s\/112.htm\"\u003epet urns\u003c\/a\u003e,  worn in \u003ca href=\"\/pet-cremation-jewelry-s\/114.htm\"\u003epet cremation  jewelry\u003c\/a\u003e, or scattered in a favorite location.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tMost pet crematoriums offer two basic \ntypes of cremation  services:  communal and private.  In a communal \ncremation, your pet's body is  cremated with other pets; this option is \nusually the least expensive, but your  pet's ashes are not returned to \nyou.  In  a private cremation, your pet is cremated individually, and \nthe ashes are  returned to you in an urn.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePet Burial\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tMany pet owners take comfort in burying \ntheir beloved  companions.  This option allows you and  your family to \nvisit your deceased pet, and some people feel a sense of  closure \nafter the burial.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tYou may choose to bury your deceased pet \nin your backyard or  somewhere else on your property.  It can  be \nreassuring to know that your pet's body is close to you.  Before you \nbury your pet on residential  property, check with your local government\n to make sure that you are not  violating any restrictions.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tAs an alternative to a home burial, a pet \ncemetery gives  grieving pet owners a peaceful, quiet place to lay their\n companions to  rest.  Pet cemeteries often offer \n \u003ca href=\"\/pet-caskets-s\/116.htm\"\u003epet  caskets\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"\/pet-grave-markers-pet-headstones-s\/113.htm\"\u003eheadstones\u003c\/a\u003e,\n or funeral services to further commemorate the life of a  beloved pet. \n When choosing a pet  cemetery, it's a good idea to make sure that it is\n located on \n\tdedicated land a pet cemetery on  dedicated land will never be used for another purpose.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHonoring Your Pet's  Memory\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tFor some pet owners, a memorial service is\n a meaningful way  to find closure after the death of a beloved family \npet.  Whether your pet is buried or cremated,  holding a memorial \nservice can be a helpful step in the grieving process and a  way for the\n family to say their final goodbyes.   A pet memorial service can be \npersonal and informal, or it can be  organized and arranged with the \nhelp of a pet funeral home.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tIf a memorial service isn't your style, \nthere are hundreds  of other ways to memorialize your beloved pet.   You\n can start a photo album or scrapbook dedicated to your pet's memory,  \nor you can plant flowers or a tree in your pet's name even a small \ngesture  like putting your pet's tag on your key chain is a loving \nreminder of your  faithful friend.   Memorial products like  jewelry, \npet urns, pet grave markers, or pet garden memorials can also help keep \nyour  lost pet's memory alive.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tWe eventually decided to have Sophie cremated; we purchased  a beautiful\n\t\u003ca href=\"\/pet-urns-s\/112.htm\"\u003epet urn\u003c\/a\u003e\n\tfor her ashes.  Our  son made a photo album of his favorite pictures of\n Sophie, and we planted a  tree in the backyard in her memory.   Sophie \nmay be gone, but her memory is still with us.\n\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[],"url":"https:\/\/www.everlifememorials.com\/collections\/aftercare-what-to-do-with-your-pet.oembed","provider":"Everlife Memorials","version":"1.0","type":"link"}