Saying goodbye to a cherished pet is a day that no owner wants to face. And navigating your final care options while processing immediate heartbreak can make the task feel even more challenging. But understanding your options in advance can bring some peace of mind during this time. Whether you’re planning ahead or making immediate arrangements, we’ve created this guide to help you navigate the process.
The main things to consider are:
- The path you'd like to take
- Your budget
- How you wish to handle your pet’s remains
(the two most common paths are cremation or burial)
Burial offers a handful of benefits such as:
- Being able to keep your pet close, giving you a sense that they are still with you.
- Having a physical location to visit and leave keepsakes.
- Giving you a sense of peace knowing your pet’s final resting place is familiar to them.
- Having the option to create a living memorial for your pet, such as planting a tree or garden around their burial location.
- Home burials may be a more financially practical option than cremation - while still feeling meaningful.
Cremation offers a different set of options and benefits:
You can choose from a few different types of pet cremation, based on your budget and preferences. If you would like to have your pet’s ashes returned to you, either private or partitioned cremation is a good choice for you.
Private Cremation: With this path, your pet is the only animal inside the cremation chamber. After the process is complete, their ashes are carefully collected and returned to you. This is the most personal option if you want to keep your pet's remains at home, and will typically be the most expensive cremation option.
Partitioned (or Individual) Cremation: With partitioned cremation, several pets are placed inside the chamber at the same time, but they are separated by physical barriers or partitions. While providers take steps to prevent the commingling of remains, a small amount of mixing can occur. Your pet's ashes are still collected from their partition and returned to you.
If you would prefer not to receive your pet’s ashes back, then communal cremation is a good choice.
Communal Cremation: With this option, several pets are cremated together without separation. Then the crematory will scatter or bury the shared ashes respectfully, often in a memorial garden. This option is best for tight budgets and for those who feel it would be too painful to get the ashes back.
Each person is different, and each relationship with a pet is uniquely meaningful, so ultimately it’s your choice how to handle your pet’s final care. We encourage you to choose whatever option brings you the most comfort and causes the least amount of stress.
What to Expect: The Timeline and Costs
Average Timeline
If you opt for cremation, it typically takes 7 to 14 business days to receive your pet's ashes back. If you have not received your pet’s ashes in this time frame, you should contact your vet or the crematorium you chose for an update.
Average Costs
The final cost of cremation depends heavily on your location, the type of service you select, and your pet’s weight. Larger animals require more resources to cremate, which usually means a higher cost than smaller animals.
Below is a quick look at pet cremation costs, according to carecredit.com
Note: Very large animals like horses require highly specialized industrial equipment, with cremation costs ranging from $500 to $2,500.
Urns and Memorabilia:
While a basic cardboard or plastic container is typically included with pet cremation, decorative urns, custom paw prints, or jewelry can range from $30 to $500.
Stardust Memorials offers a variety of pet urns to honor your cherished furry friend, from quality metal, ceramic, and wooden urns to stainless steel & sterling silver pet cremation jewelry.
If you are looking for urns for dogs, our Sleeping Dog Pet Urn is a unique natural wooden urn shaped like a curled up pup. 
For a more traditionally shaped urn that’s still intended for pets, our Pewter with Gold Paw Prints Pet Urn is classic, versatile, and comes in a keepsake size, medium, large, and extra-large for dogs of all sizes. For a simpler design, the Paw Print Round Pet Urn in Gray offers three sizes and a unique shape for your dog’s ashes.
Stardust Memorials also carries a nice selection of cat urns. Similar to our curled up dog urns, the Sleeping Cat Pet Urn is a great choice for cats who love to cuddle up and get cozy; available in natural wood, white, and black. Or, if your cat is a fan of “loafing”, our collection of Ceramic Cat Cremation Urns offer a wonderful homage to this iconic feline form. If you don’t want an urn in the shape of a cat, our Red or Blue with Silver Paw Prints Urn comes in extra small, small, medium, and large, and offers quality and a classic style.
We also offer engraving so you can personalize your pet’s urn or jewelry with a favorite nickname or special sentiment. Stardust Memorials would be honored to be the online store that helps you find the perfect memorial urn for your pet. Our customer service team is ready to help you select an urn based on your needs and preferences, so feel free to give us a call to discuss your options.
Ultimately, you should do what feels right for you and/or your family. If you’d like local recommendations or guidance about your pet’s end-of-life arrangements, your veterinary team is a great resource to assist you in the planning process or to point you toward trusted, empathetic pet crematories in your area.
Helpful Resources:
Click here to visit Carecredit.com's Cost Calculator for an estimate of cremation costs in your area.
How to use the cost calculator:
Start by entering your zip code and choosing "veterinary" under the care category, and then scroll down to find "cremation" for cat or dog to view estimated local costs.
After you hit “Calculate,” you’ll get an estimated local cost for your selected service.
From there, you can:
- Tap “Recalculate” to change the procedure or treatment details or location.
- Select “Explore financing” to review potential financing options with the CareCredit credit card.