When my dog succumbed to cancer last year, I had to make a quick decision between burying and cremating. I realized how ignorant I was on these issues and decided to do some research, including how much cremation would cost me.
On average, cremating a dog will cost you between $50 and $400 depending on the cremation service, the type of cremation, your dog’s weight or size, and the state where you live. Private cremations cost more than individual and communal ones and smaller dogs cost less.
As we shall be telling you in this article, there are other factors that can increase the amount you pay for your dog’s cremation. We’ll also answer for you important questions that you may have about deciding to cremate or bury your dog. The information in the article helps you make the crucial decision to give your furry friend a befitting send off.
The cost of pet cremation will vary depending on three main factors: type of cremation, your pet’s size or weight, and your location.
Pet cremations can either be private, individual, or communal.
Cremating larger pets will cost more than smaller ones since this means more space and time in the cremation chamber.
For example, at the Butte Humane Society Clinic in Chico, CA, a private cremation will vary in price according to weight as shown:
A communal cremation will cost $55 irrespective of size.
Pet cremation prices also vary from city to city and from state to state: For example, private cremation prices at Butte Humane Society in CA vary a bit with those at Perfect Memorials, LLC in Eden Prairie, MN as shown:
The cost of your pet’s cremation may increase depending on these other factors:
If your dog dies at home or the vet’s, here’s what you should expect when engaging a pet cremation service.
This could be done by you or you could delegate the task to your dog’s vet especially if your dog dies at the vet or you don’t feel up to the task.
You can choose between private, individual, or communal cremation depending on how much you want to spend.
Engage the cremation care service by asking the following questions:
I have read stories about people who have dug a hole and piled hay and logs over their dog’s body then started a fire. It took them two to three days before their dog’s remains were completely burned. This happened in a countryside home.
From our research, there seem to be 2 things suggesting that you should not cremate a dog yourself.
You will not find much information about “DIY dog cremation ideas” and neither do you find information on country/state laws on DIY dog cremation.
For example, the Standards of Practice for Cremation of Pets by the International Association of Pet Cemeteries and Crematories and the Cremation Association of North America is silent on cremating a dog yourself.
All this suggests a general expectation that dog cremation is a service that is done by dog cremation services who are licensed and have experience with handling dog remains according to set disposal standards.
At a crematory, your dog’s remains will be subjected to extremely high temperatures ranging between 1400° and 1800° Fahrenheit for a period of 45min to 3hrs.
Even if you decided to cremate your dog in a domestic oven, this would be close to impossible as most ovens can only handle up to 500° Fahrenheit.
Besides, that would mean plenty of smoke and odor emitted inside your home. Similarly, opting for a backyard fire would come with the same issues and is generally prohibited in urban environments.
Cremating or burying your pet are both acceptable ways of disposing of your pet’s remains. Whether one is better than the other is generally a personal choice that should be made depending on what works best for you.
Nonetheless, cremating may be better on the following grounds.
You can easily ask a dog cremation service to take care of your dog’s remains with little involvement and at a cost between $50 and $400 as discussed earlier. This may increase slightly depending on a few extra costs.
Burying a dog will cost you a lot more and get you more involved with the plans, despite your grieving.
For example, if you chose a dog cemetery, you will pay between $550 and $4,000 to cover for costs related to digging a grave, the burial space, your dog’s casket, death date and name engraving, tombstone, and grave maintenance fee.
While you might be able to bury your dog in your backyard depending on country/state laws and keep a memorial spot of your pet, you might not be able to carry your pet’s remains if you move.
Also, burying your dog at a cemetery will keep you far from your dog’s remains and you can only visit once in a while.
Cremation gives you the possibility of keeping your pet’s ashes in an urn inside your home, which becomes a daily reminder of your beloved pet.
The decision to bury your dog in your backyard depends on the following factors.
Some countries/states allow people with private property to bury their dog’s remains in their backyard. Other countries may prohibit it as long as you live in the city.
For example, in Ontario Canada, the 1990 Ontario Dead Animals Disposal Act doesn’t prohibit burying a dog in your yard, but:
Some states advise against burying your dog in your backyard or give specific guidelines to preempt contamination of water sources or disturbing neighbors.
For example, in Missouri, it is discouraged to bury a dog in your backyard. But if you do, the grave must be 15.24m from property lines and 91.44m from neighboring residences and water sources.
Your dog’s body may decompose in a month in deep soil or take as long as a year in shallow rocky soil.
A dog’s remains in a shallow grave will emit a foul smell, attracting other animals to dig up the grave and scatter the remains.
Can You Request To Have Your Dog Put Down? You can request to have your dog euthanized if your dog is in a lot of suffering and pain and the condition is irreversible. Generally, vets will not put down a healthy dog for ethical and professional reasons. Talk to your dog’s vet to know when this decision is opportune.
Do Dogs Feel Pain When They Get Put Down? Dogs don’t feel pain when they are euthanized. If they are fully conscious, the vet may give a sedative before the euthanizing dose. Euthanizing medicine is given in large doses and renders your dog unconscious immediately. The most your dog could do is twitch, urinate, or defecate as they take their last breath.
What Happens To Microchip When A Dog Dies? There seems to be imprecise information about the state of your dog’s microchip after cremation. Some will say it can still be read to identify your dog’s remains and others will say it burns up and is destroyed by the high furnace temperatures. Additional information and research on the issue are required.
Pete Decker is the Lead Editor at The Goody Pet. He is a passionate wildlife educator and loves to share his experiences on pets. During his free time, you can find him cozying around his 2 adorable Labradors (Tobi & Kobi).
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