Loyal friend. Fearless defender. Selfless partner. Stress reliever. Our dogs are undeniably an essential part of our life and family. Losing them is the last thing that we want to think about. Unfortunately, the death of a beloved dog is a reality every dog owner will eventually face. And what makes it more difficult is the fact that we have to make an immediate decision on what to do with our precious dog’s remains. A lot of dog owners prefer to have their dogs cremated because of its practicality and convenience. If you are a dog owner who’s considering cremation for your precious dog, it’s important to know what goes on during the process of dog cremation, its costs, and the possibility of dog cremation at home.
1. The Process
Despite the feeling of overwhelming grief, you’ve reached a very important decision on your dog’s after-life care. The process of how to get a dog cremated is pretty straightforward. So what really happens before, during, and after dog cremation?
2. How Much Is It To cremate A Dog?
You’ve probably heard some people say that dog cremation is way more affordable than burying a dog. In general, the average cost to cremate a dog will range from $30 to around $250. But like most dog services, dog cremation cost will depend on varying factors such as your location, the size or weight of your dog, and which dog cremation method you will choose.
Dog Cremation Price By Dog’s Weight Class
Most crematoriums group dogs or pets according to their weight size, thus they will most likely ask you to give your dog’s breed type and weight before you can get an accurate quotation. But the key here is that the larger the dog, the more space it will take up, the longer it will take to cremate, the higher the cost will be.
If your dog weighs less than 30 lbs and you would like to avail of a private cremation service, then it will only cost you around $150 – $175.
But if your dog weighs 91 – 120 lbs, and you availed of the private cremation services, then be prepared to pay $250 and more.
Dog Cremation Cost By Cremation Services
As mentioned earlier, there are three types of cremations services or methods that you can choose from. Your clue is, the more exclusive it is, the more expensive it will cost you.
This is a dog cremation service where several animals are cremated together in one cremation chamber. Since this is a grouped cremation, the ashes of these animals are mixed and so you won’t be able to get your dog’s ashes. Obviously, this is the most affordable cremation service you can avail which costs between $30 – $70.
If you want more exclusivity and want to receive your dog’s ashes without being mixed with other dogs’, then a private cremation service is what suits your dog best. Your dog will be cremated solo, so the chances of your dog’s ashes getting mixed with others’ ashes are very slim. And just like any other service, the better the service, the more expensive it will be. So depending on your location and the weight of your dog, it costs around $175 to as high as $250.
The partitioned cremation service or also known as semi-private is a mid-range cremation service that costs around $50 to $150. Your dog’s remains will be cremated with all the other dogs or animals in a chamber that has dividers to keep each animal separated from each other.
Extra Options
Aside from the basic cremation services that you want to avail for your dog, there are also extra services that you may need. These extra services come with a price tag.
Transferring your dog’s remains from your home or the vet’s clinic to the crematorium is included in the dog cremation services that you paid for. However, this is only for transfers during business hours. The crematorium may charge you $30 – $45 depending on your location, for transfers outside business hours.
A lot of dog owners feel more at ease when they stay with their dogs till the last part of the cremation process. Thus, some crematoriums will offer dog owners to view or witness the whole procedure but with a reasonable fee of $20 – $30.
If you availed of the private or partitioned dog cremation services, your dog’s ashes will be returned to you in a plastic container so it is best to have a memorial urn ready. Most crematoriums have beautiful memorial urns that you can choose from.
3. FAQ’s
As loving dog owners, we want to make sure that we are choosing the best for our fur babies. Here are some of the questions that you might have in mind.
Where can I get my dog cremated?
If your dog is in your vet’s care, your vet may offer you dog cremation services. This means that your vet doesn’t have the capacity and the means to cremate your dog so he/she will contact the crematorium where he has a contract with and arrange for your dog’s cremation. If you would like to make your dog’s cremation more personalized, it is better to directly contact a crematorium near you and they will give you lots of options.
Is there a right way on how to cremate your dogs yourself?
There are dog owners who don’t have the means to have their dogs cremated and it’s understandable if they choose to do it in their way. But can you cremate a dog at home? The answer is yes. However, you should have a wide-open space without any trees or plants nearby to avoid fire accidents from happening. If you are considering this option, make sure that you are not going to cremate your dog in a condo complex. Or else you’ll get fined and might go to jail for doing so.
If you are sure that your dog is already dead, you may put it in a freezer or if you don’t have a freezer where you can temporarily store your dog’s remains, then you can proceed with the cremation by preparing the following:
- Step 1 – Set up your metal container in an open space
- Step 2 – Place your dog’s remains on the metal plan then cover it with lots of charcoal and wood around.
- Step 3 – Pour the stump remover and sprinkle a bit of lighter fluid
- Step 4 – Set the charcoal and wood on fire but make sure to keep the fire going and keep adding wood and charcoal if needed. This will take about 3 hours.
- Step 5 – If you see large pieces of bones, these need to be crushed while it’s hot.
- Step 6 – After the fire has cooled down, you may remove the metal pan and collect your dog’s ashes.
4. Final Thoughts
We’ve always wanted the best for your beloved dogs so it’s pretty reasonable if we will choose to have them cremated. Knowing dog cremations costs will help us prepare financially when it’s our dog’s time to cross the rainbow bridge. Dog cremation is generally affordable but you also need to consider your choices. Your choices will dictate how you are going to memorialize your dog. You may choose to cremate your dog yourself but you should have the knowledge of how to cremate a dog and where to cremate a dog. However, this shouldn’t be done by dog owners who are deeply emotional and have weak guts. Trust that there are crematoriums near you that can offer dog cremation services that are within your budget.
