Here’s a breakdown of dog cremation options, costs, and what to consider when faced with this difficult decision:
Saying Goodbye: Pet Cremation
Losing a beloved pet is heartbreaking. Deciding how to handle their remains adds another layer of complexity. Cremation is a common choice, offering flexibility and peace of mind.
Understanding Cremation
- The Process: Your pet is placed in a high-temperature cremation chamber (1400-1800°F). This reduces the body to bone fragments and ashes.
- Separation: Inorganic materials (surgical pins, collars) are removed before the remains are processed into a fine powder.
- Return of Ashes: Typically provided in a simple container (plastic bag, box, or tin). You may choose a special urn for an added cost.
Cost of Dog Cremation
- Average: Around $150 for private cremation.
- Price Range: $30-$250+ depending on:
- Dog’s size (small to extra-large)
- Service provider
- Location (urban areas tend to be pricier)
- Additional services selected
Factors Affecting Cost
- Cremation Type:
- Communal: Most affordable, pets are cremated together, no individual ashes returned.
- Individual: Multiple pets cremated separately, some chance of ash mixing.
- Private: Most expensive, only your pet is in the chamber, ensuring pure ashes.
- Location: Prices vary regionally.
- Additional Services:
- Transporting your pet from vet or home
- Witnessing the cremation
- Decorative urns or keepsake containers
Alternatives to Cremation
- Burial: Consider local regulations. Backyard burial may be possible, or pet cemeteries offer dedicated spaces.
- Taxidermy: Preserves the pet’s physical form, a very costly process.
Key Takeaways
- Cremation is a Dignified Option: Provides closure while minimizing environmental impact.
- Cost Varies: Budget-friendly communal cremation is available, while private options offer more individual attention.
- Personalize the Experience: Choose additional services that align with your needs and comfort level.
- Alternatives Exist: Explore burial or taxidermy if cremation doesn’t feel right for you.
Remember, there’s no single right way to honor your pet after their passing. Seek support from your vet or pet loss resources to help navigate this difficult time.
Understanding the Basics of the Cremation Process
Since the process of cremation is new, people prefer burial options as they are not familiar with the cremation procedure. You will need to understand the process before you decide. Details may differ between various service providers.
Step 1
Contact the local vet crematory. You will start by contacting the local crematory to guide you about the process and the various options available. There are several levels of cremation and different ways in which the staff will prepare the ashes. You can drop off your pet once you have decided.
Step 2
Place your pet in the unit made for cremation. The service staff will place your pet in the cremation machine. This machine will reach between 1400 to 1800-degree Fahrenheit temperatures and vaporize your dog’s body. This process will leave behind bone pieces and rough dust.
Step 3
Separate materials from your dog’s ashes. The inorganic material like surgical pins and collars will be separated from the ashes before handing them to you. This process is done through magnets in some places.
Step 4
The rest of the bones and ashes are crushed to form a uniform fine sand-like texture.
Step 5
Remains transferred to a container. Your dog’s remains are put in a container and handed over to you. The most commonly used containers are sealed plastic bags, cardboard boxes, or metal tins, and the choice of the container depends on the facility chosen.
The whole cremation process takes only a few hours and gets completed in a day, and you can collect the remains the next day.
How Much Does it Cost to Cremate a Dog?
The average price for a private pet cremation is around $150. Dog cremation prices may vary between $30 to $ 150 for smaller dogs like Chihuahuas and $250 for large dogs like St Bernard’s.
The cost to cremate your dog depends on several factors. Apart from the basic charges, the cost of cremation varies due to additional services opted by you.
The cremation charges are also dependent on the service provider. Few local vet crematoriums will offer low-cost cremation costs if they work with pet services companies or shelters.
Factors Affecting the Cremation Cost
You have to decide if you want your pet to be cremated in a regular crematorium or the one meant for pets. If your pet is like a family member to you, you would not mind paying for a private cremation service.
Like any other service, cremation cost varies from one market to another. A few factors that influence the cremation costs are
Location
Just like many pet services, the cremating cost varies with location. There would be a difference in pricing between a private clinic in big cities and a cremation center in a small town. The private city clinic will cost you more than the one located in a small town.
Size
There are price variations between dog breeds. Large dogs who take longer to cremate and occupy more room cost more than $250. A small dog like Frenchie or a Pomeranian will be charged around $ 30, whereas a medium-sized dog will cost $ 175. Cremation charges apply as per the weight and type of your pet.
Additional Services Offered
A few extra options that you might choose will affect the cremation price. The cremation price includes the transfer fees for transferring your pet’s body to the crematorium. You have to pay the charges to pick up your dog from the vet’s clinic or your home.
If you want to attend the cremation process, a few crematoriums charge you an added fee. You can choose to take your dog’s ashes in a wooden box, a different shaped urn, or a container. This facility comes at an extra charge.
Despite the price variations in pricing, many crematoriums offer budget cremation services to the owners.
Types of Dog Cremation Services
The cremation of dogs is similar to the cremation of humans. Your pet’s body is placed in the cremation chamber, and intense heat reduces it to ashes. There are a few methods for cremation that decide the cost.
Communal Dog Cremation
This method is the most budget-friendly option. Here several dogs are cremated in a group. You would not get your pet’s remains separately as all dogs are cremated together, and the ashes are mixed.
The crematory disposes off the ashes by sprinkling them in an open garden. This option works if you are looking for an affordable service and do not want to save the ashes. Cost varies between $30 to $ 70 and depends on the size of your dog and your location.
Individual
The individual process is more expensive than the communal service. It is not much different from the communal one as it involves cremating several dogs simultaneously.
However, the animals are kept separately, and it is possible for the owner to claim the remains. Even though the animals are kept separate, there are chances that the ashes get mixed up during this process. The cost of an individual cremation is between $ 50 and $ 150.
Private
The most expensive method is the private method. If you have enough funds and want to preserve the ashes of your furry pet, you can opt for a private process of cremation.
Your pet is the only animal in the cremation unit, and there are fewer chances of the ashes getting intermingled. You can choose this option if you want your dog friend to have the final farewell that it deserves. As it is costly, the price is somewhere between $175 to $ 250.
Water Cremation
Aquamation is a new process that might fascinate you if you are an eco-friendly person. Aquamation or alkaline hydrolysis offers an environmentally friendly option against the traditional method. It started in Australia and later spread globally.
This method uses water instead of a flame. A combination of gentle water flow, temperature, and alkalinity hasten the breakdown of the body. In this process, your dog’s body will be placed in a container positioned in a stainless-steel vessel.
A combination of soft water with temperature fastens the process of hydrolysis. The returned ashes are light green in color and very clean. They can safely be released into the environment.
Alternatives to Cremation
Dog Cremation can be a difficult option when you have lost your pet. If you are not comfortable with the process of cremation, there are few other options available.
Burial
If cremation is not available at your location, is not within your budget, or you are not comfortable with the idea, you can bury your pet. It is possible to bury your pet on your property; however, it is not legal in a few urban areas.
Pets can be buried in your backyard or garden if you are located in a rural area, whereas in urban areas, you will find burial containers or pet cemeteries where your pet can be buried.
Taxidermy
If you want to keep your pet with you for many years, you can opt for Taxidermy. Taxidermy is an expensive process, and it will turn your pet into a semi-permanent statue. You can keep it at home. It will cost you around $ 500, and the cost varies as per the size of your pet. Hunters prefer Taxidermy to display their trophies.
