PREPARATION & AFTERCARE

Once the procedure is complete, you will be left with the precious body of your deceased pet, which will look peaceful, like it is fast asleep. I can help guide you through making arrangements for dignified aftercare, but please note that under normal circumstances I do not personally take any bodies away with me.

Our main options are home burial and cremation. 

Home burial feels very natural (and it is my personal preference), but it's not always practical or possible. 

The government has guidelines for responsible burial of pets. The main points are: 

• burial can only be done on private land that you own;
• graves should be deep enough to allow at least one metre of soil to cover the body below the ground (so the grave should be dug one metre plus the thickness of the pet’s body deep);
• care needs to be taken not to contaminate any water resources.

Some pet crematoriums offer a home collection service every day of the week (e.g., "Dignity Pet Crematorium"), which you can arrange prior to your appointment. Alternatively you can transport the body yourself to a pet crematorium. Another option is to transport the body to your local registered veterinary surgery or their out of hours provider where they will arrange cremation.

Pet crematoriums offer “communal” or “individual” cremation. Choosing an individual cremation means your pet will be cremated on its own and you will receive its ashes back afterwards. A failsafe procedure is used by pet crematoriums to ensure you receive your pet’s authentic ashes. More information can be found on the pet crematorium’s website (see the “Useful Links” page). 

Preparing a grave or contacting a local pet crematorium prior to the appointment helps a lot to reduce stress when the time comes to say farewell and can help the process run as smoothly as possible. If the euthanasia takes place out of hours, the pet crematorium will do the collection the next morning. In the meantime the pet's body can remain exactly where it is, or it can be moved to another room or covered with a blanket, etc. It will look like it is in a peaceful deep sleep and it's not scary! It's the incredible vessel that carried your pet through this lifetime and as such it deserves loving, respectful, final care. Keeping a deceased pet's body overnight often allows for more closure and it's completely normal to do this. 

If the euthanasia takes place out of hours, the pet crematorium will usually do the collection the next morning. In the meantime the pet's body can remain exactly where it is, or it can be moved to another room or covered with a blanket, etc. It will look like it is in a peaceful deep sleep and it's really not scary! That body is the incredible vessel that carried your pet through its lifetime and as such it is deserving of loving, respectful and fearless final care. Keeping a deceased pet's body overnight often allows for more closure and it's completely normal to do this. If once cannot wait until the morning, one can transport the body to an out of hours veterinary surgery where they will arrange cremation (note: it is standard practice to not be charged any out of hours fees for arranging cremation, as there is no consultation necessary).

Hair clippings, paw prints and nose prints can be taken once the pet has passed away. Paw prints can be made using ink, foam/oasis, or mouldable clay. It is usually best to trim the nails and fur around paws in order to get really beautiful prints or moulds. Please don't feel shy or embarassed to ask for help with these. I will make a clay paw print impression for you during the visit if possible and if you would like one, or I can help you with other prints if you have the necessary materials you would like to use.

Local talented artists can create beautiful artworks of your pet, e.g., painting and wool felting. Ashes can also be kept in special caskets or scattered, buried, cast in resin ornaments, and even turned into diamonds. See the "Useful Links" page for more information.