Understanding Cremation

If you're a pet owner whose pet is in failing health, or if you have sadly experienced the recent passing of a pet, the following information may help guide you through this difficult period with knowledge, understanding and peace of mind.

Pet loss, whether anticipated or sudden, is a heart-breaking event. Pet owners facing the loss of their pet are often overwhelmed- finding themselves unprepared to make a quick and clear decision regarding disposition of their beloved companion. Just as we pay tribute to human loved ones, pet owners understandably feel they deserve similar options for a much-loved pet.

Today, many pet owners opt for cremation since it both provides a way to keep your pet near you and allows you to bury or scatter some or all of your pet’s ashes in your yard and/or favorite places you both enjoyed. Many families choose pet cremation in order to keep their pet’s memorial with them if they move. If you are like many pet owners, you have probably heard about pet cremation but you may still have some questions about the process.

Cremation involves the incineration of the body in a specially designed crematory, thus reducing the remains to bone fragments. Cremated remains are usually light in color, but can have other colors due to temperature variations, minerals or items placed with the animal prior to cremation. Special care is taken to remove the cremated remains. The crematory operator has special tools for this part of the process. After the cremated remains have cooled, anything metal is removed using a magnet. The cremated remains are then processed in a canister with a blade at the bottom to create a more ash-like appearance.

It is important to know that there are a couple options that exist within pet cremation.

• Private Cremation: Your pet is placed in the cremation chamber. Upon completion of the cremation, your pet’s cremated remains are removed from the chamber, processed and returned to you. This option allows you to continue to keep your pet with you, regardless of where the future may take you. Often times the remains will be delivered back to the hospital for the client to pick up and we will call you when they are in.
• Communal Cremation: With this alternative your pet is cremated along with a number of other pets, and the cremated remains cannot be separated. No urn or cremated remains are returned to the pet owner during a communal cremation.

It’s important to remember that you may need time to make a decision like this one. We hope that by giving you this information to review you'll be able to make a decision that you and your family feel good about forever.

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Source: https://www.atdove.org/blog/understanding-cremation