Pet Cremations
Individual Pet Cremations
In the unfortunate event of an owner losing their beloved pet, in addition to the distress and grief suffered by the owner, there is always the unfortunate practical issue of what to do with the animal’s body. If they own land (e.g. a garden) it is still possible for any owner to bury their pet’s body on their own property once certain common-sense precautions are taken. Increasingly however, owners are turning to pet cremation as an option. Even if it is still their intention to bury their pet’s remains in their garden it is much easier and more hygienic to bury a small casket of ashes than the body of a large dog for example. It is even easier to scatter their pet’s cremated remains under their favourite tree. Some owners may on the other hand prefer to have an ornamental keepsake containing their pet’s remains occupying pride of place on the mantelpiece as a constant reminder of the companionship they shared. A so-called Individual Pet Cremation is where a pet is cremated on its own and following cremation the pet’s remains are placed in a receptacle for return to the pet owner.
How can I arrange to have an individual cremation carried out for my pet?
There are three ways in which an owner who has just lost their pet can arrange to have an individual pet cremation carried out by Mayo Pet Crematorium:
1. Arrange it through your veterinary practice
2. Arrange a private individual cremation with us on site at the crematorium
3. Use our collect & return service: arrange for your pet to be collected from your home, cremated, and remains returned directly to you.
Through your Veterinary Practice
Owners can arrange to have their pet cremated with Mayo Pet Crematorium through one of our participating partner veterinary practices in the Connaught region and beyond. Owners can also choose from a wide range of receptacles for their pet’s remains to be returned in. Options for caskets and other receptacles can be seen on our Products page. While awaiting collection at the veterinary practice, your pet’s body is placed in cold storage (usually a freezer) by the vet. It is identified with your details by a unique numbered tracker card attached to the body bag so that it cannot be confused with other animals. This tracker card stays with the pet’s body throughout the cremation process and is returned with your pet’s remains as proof of identification. Collections are at least once weekly from our partner veterinary practices. Once returned to our facility your pet’s body is again temporarily placed in cold storage until we are ready to carry out the cremation. Throughout the process the body of your pet is treated with care and dignity. Once the cremation has been carried out the remains are placed in the pre-arranged receptacle of your choice and returned normally within 7 days to your veterinary practice awaiting your collection. A Certificate of Cremation from Mayo Pet Crematorium will accompany your pet’s remains on return.
Where your pet’s individual cremation is organised through your local vet you will be paying your veterinary practice directly for that service. You can contact your veterinary surgeon directly for a quotation.
Private Individual Pet Cremations
It is common practice for clients to arrange for their pet to be cremated through their veterinary practice. However, some clients may like to make an appointment with us to arrange to bring their pet’s body directly to our facility and wait while the cremation takes place or take a trip into one of the nearby towns and return once the pet’s remains are ready. We like to call this service a Private Individual Pet Cremation. This may particularly suit the client who is concerned about leaving their pet’s body in a freezer in their veterinary practice pending collection, or the client who is in doubt over whether they will be receiving back the ashes of their own pet. By bringing their pet’s body directly to our facility they will be able to see us admit the deceased pet and take it through the process right up to the point where it is placed in the cremator. Unfortunately, due to the extremely high operating temperatures involved in the cremation process, for safety reasons is not possible for an owner to be actually present in the room while their pet’s body is placed in the cremator. If the owner wishes however, they can observe the loading of their pet’s body through an external viewing window. The length of time it takes for the body to be cremated depends on several factors including the size and weight of the animal. Once the body has been reduced to ashes it also takes at least an hour for the cremator to have cooled sufficiently so that the ashes can be safely removed. Thus it will take an average of at least 3 hours for an owner to receive the remains of their pet back in the receptacle of their choice. For late arrivals this may mean that ashes might not be ready until the following day. Clients are welcome to enjoy our gardens while they wait, or they could also enjoy a short visit to the busy shopping town of Castlebar (five minutes by car) or picturesque Westport (15 minutes).
If you are interested in this service please contact us to arrange an appointment. See our Services section for quotations on the cost of this service.
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Collect and Return Cremation Service
For some clients taking a pet which has died or been euthanised at home into their vet clinic to await collection for cremation may be logistically or emotionally difficult. For these clients we have developed a new service. We can arrange to collect your pet’s body directly from your home and return the pet’s remains upon completion of the cremation. We aim to provide a next day service on returns. We plan to provide this service on demand throughout the Connaught area. We may also travel outside of Connaught on request so don’t be afraid to ask. If your pet has been suffering from a long-term illness and is being euthanised at home by your vet, we can arrange to liaise with your vet in relation to the best time to call to collect your pet.
Charges for this service will vary according to the distances involved for collection of the body and return of the remains. See our Services section for quotations on the cost of the service. If you require clarification call us for a quotation.