When Your Pet Dies: The First Few Days

The short answer: in the first few days, you only need to do a few things: call your vet, decide on cremation or burial, and look after yourself. Everything else, including choosing an urn or memorial, can wait until you are ready.

1. Call your vet

If your pet died at home, your vet is the best first call. They can explain your options and many can arrange cremation for you. If it is out of hours, ask what to do until they open.

2. Decide on cremation or burial

If you would like their ashes back, ask for an individual cremation, so the ashes you receive are only your pet's. Ask your vet or crematorium how and when the ashes will come home.

3. Keep something close

Before saying goodbye, some families keep a collar, a favourite toy, or a few photos. Good photos also matter if you would like a memorial that looks like them later.

4. Take your time with a memorial

There is no deadline. Ashes can stay in the container they come home in until you feel ready. When you are, our guide on how to choose a pet urn, our urn size calculator and our pet urns can help.

5. Be kind to yourself

Losing a pet is losing a member of the family. It is normal to feel it deeply, and normal for each person in the house to grieve differently. Talk about them, share stories, and let children ask questions.

About White Doe

White Doe is the pet memorial line from Ripleys Nest, an independent sculpture studio in the Lake District, Cumbria, UK. Every piece is made to order.

If you would like to talk anything through, write to us.