Getting a pet casket
If you do decide to bury your pet yourself, a pet casket and/or burial container can be a great way to lay them to rest. You may also want to consider getting a headstone or memorial marker for your pet’s grave. Here are a few tips on what to look for when buying a pet casket or burial container:
Make sure that the product was manufactured using sustainable wood products and non-toxic materials. Look at the materials listed on the package of your product; if it contains formaldehyde, polyurethane or other potentially toxic chemicals, it is best not to purchase it as these chemicals may leach into the soil and pollute groundwater supplies.
Look for certification from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). These organizations certify wood products that come from sustainable sources; they also require that their member companies do not use any illegally harvested wood products. The FSC and SFI both have websites where you can search for certified wood products.
Pet pods can be a great way to bury your pet. They are made from sustainable earth friendly materials that can hold cremated remains of your pet while being kind to the earth. They even come with a sympathy card for you and your pet’s family.
What will you do with the remains after you have buried them?
While many pet owners will choose to mark the gravesite of their pets with a small headstone or memorial, other people may choose not to mark the grave at all. It is important to decide in advance what you will do in this regard so that you can make arrangements for marking the grave beforehand if necessary. If you decide not to mark the grave, be sure to keep detailed records of where the pet is buried just in case you may need it later.
Handling the Body
It is not pretty to talk about, but you may need to handle your pets body. If you plan to bury your pet yourself but cannot do it right away, then the body must be stored properly. If you wish to have your pet cremated or have the burial handled by a company that cannot take your pets remains right away, you will also need to properly store the remains. This may be the case if your pet dies in the middle of the night or over a holiday. However, some pet crematories have 24/7 phone service for these kinds of situations. The most important thing to know is that the remains of the deceased pet must be handled as soon as possible.
The brutal fact is that an animals body begins to decompose immediately after death. The body will soon begin to give off a foul odor and attract insects. The hotter the temperature, the faster the rate of decomposition. Rigor mortis, the stiffening of the joints, typically begins within 10 minutes to three hours after death and can last as long as 72 hours. Again, the temperature will affect this process. Ideally, the remains will be properly handled before the onset of rigor mortis.
Mother dog watches puppies get buried
If your dog dies unexpectedly at home, it is imaginably a difficult situation. Losing your beloved dog is never easy, however, if your dog dies suddenly at home, you will need to take immediate steps and make some decisions right away, such as transporting your pet to a cemetery or crematorium.
We understand that handling your dogs sudden death can be hard to do when emotions are high, so follow these few steps to support you in handling your dogs death.