When you’re dealing with the loss of a beloved pet, in addition to your grief, there are logistics to take care of. First, you’ll need to decide whether you want to bury or cremate your dog. One of the factors that may play a role in this decision making is pet cremation costs. Please continue reading to get an idea about how much it costs to cremate a dog in the United States.
Burial is simple and easy, and often the least expensive way to take care of your pet’s body, especially if you do it in your own backyard.
However, keep in mind that it is illegal to bury pets in your backyard in some states and counties. There are good reasons for this rule.
If your pet had a disease, the body can pose a danger to other animals and humans. A backyard burial can also result in strong odors and the area can become a hotbed of germs and insects. Other animals may dig up the grave and exhume your pet’s body, causing additional emotional upheaval for you and your family.
Therefore, if you’re thinking of burying your pet’s body, it’s a good idea to do so in a pet cemetery.
There is no right or wrong choice between burial vs cremation for a dog. Each pet owner must make the choice based on their personal preferences, religious beliefs, and other factors like pet cremation vs burial costs.
The key difference is that when you bury your dog, you give them a permanent home, a place you can return to from time to time for sentimental reasons.
But a burial also means that if you move homes, you cannot take your pet with you. Cremating your dog gives you the option of taking the urn containing their ashes with you wherever you go.
Additionally, pet cremation has a lower environmental impact than a burial. You can choose to scatter your pet’s ashes in a favorite location or take them home in an urn.
Last but not least, cremation is usually the less expensive option when it comes to taking care of your dog’s body.
Cremation involves incinerating your dog’s body in a small heated chamber where temperatures reach over 2,000 degrees. Pet cremation services typically grind the remaining organic material, such as small pieces of bone, into a fine gray ash that you can bring home in an urn.
Pet cremation costs can vary depending on where you live, the size of your pet’s body, and whether you choose a communal, individual, or private cremation.
Communal cremations are where many animals are cremated together. They typically range in cost between $30 and $75. Individual pet cremations can cost anywhere from $50 to $150 and involve cremating many animals together but keeping the bodies separate. A private cremation involves cremating your dog alone in the cremation chamber. If you are sentimental about keeping your dog’s ashes, you might want to choose a private cremation so that the ashes don’t get mixed up with other animals. A private pet cremation can set you back by $150 or more.
Private cremation costs for small dogs weighing less than 30 pounds are typically in the range of $150-$175. It usually costs $175-$200 to cremate medium sized dogs weighting between 30 and 120 pounds. Pet cremation costs for large dogs weighing more than 120 pounds can range from $200 to $250 or more. Your local pet crematory can provide a quote after you give them your dog’s breed and weight.
The cost of cremating your dog can vary greatly depending on where you live. In a large city or metro area, you might have to pay hundreds of dollars for a service that costs under $50 in a small town. Keep in mind that in addition to the cremation fees, there are additional costs to consider such as a decorative urn or box to store your pet’s ashes. You may also have to pay to have your pet’s body collected from the veterinarian’s office and transported to the cremation facility.
If you’ve recently lost a loving companion and cannot stop thinking about where they are, read our blog on where dogs go when they die.
On a happier note, if you want to create a memory with your faithful, loving companion while your dog is still alive, read our tips on getting a dog paw print.
12 February, 2024