When a much-loved dog passes away, the practicalities still have to be faced and dealt with. Karen Bush advises.

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Once your dog’s spirit has passed on, you’ll need to decide what to do with his physical remains.

Discussing this with your family before it ever becomes a reality will ensure you are all in agreement, and don’t make a hasty decision while in an emotional and distraught state, which might be regretted later.

It will also make it easier to set in place in advance any necessary arrangements for when the time finally comes to say farewell.

“...this can give you more control, and may give greater peace of mind...”

AFTER-CARE OPTIONS

There are a number of after-care options; your choice will depend on practical and financial considerations as well as on personal preferences and spiritual beliefs. Although options include taxidermy and freeze-drying, the most popular choices for owners are either cremation or burial.

● CREMATION

Most veterinary practices will use the services of one particular pet crematorium, which will collect your pet’s remains from the practice. The services offered can vary considerably, so you may like to ask in advance which crematorium is used, so you can check it out and satisfy yourself that it meets your own standards and requirements. Alternatively, you can arrange for your pet to be cremated at a private pet crematoria of your own choice; this can give you more control, and may give greater peace of mind, but may be more expensive.