By Mary Beth Lentner - ONLYforPETLOVERS Ohio

The loss of a pet is often one of the most difficult grieving periods in a person’s life. Because so many pet owners view their cherished animal companions as very real members of their families, the death of a pet is often just as traumatic, if as losing a human loved one.

And just like human burial/remembrance services, many pet owners want to honor their devoted companions with similar memorials and peaceful places of final rest. So, what options are there for owners seeking to commemorate their pets?

Burial

The first choice is to perform a home burial, which is still popular among owners who want to keep their pets near and dear to their hearts even through death. This option provides a quiet and secluded resting place for pets, especially for individuals who own their own home/land. It enables owners to memorialize their pets with private funeral services and frequent gravesite visits that offer closure and comfort while in seclusion.

Many owners opt to bury their pets in flower gardens or underneath sweeping trees and mark their graves with engraved signs or relics that contain heartfelt sentiments and photographs. Some also choose to place their pets in specialized caskets available for purchase through most veterinarians. But owners can simply also wrap their pets in a blanket, especially one that was special to the animal, making sure to place the bundle at least four feet deep.

But home burials pose some challenges, especially for apartment and city dwellers that do not have adequate space and/or legal rights to such actions. In fact, may cities have ordinances in place that prohibit home-based pet burial or restrict grave depth. In these cases, owners have the option of burying their pets in a formal pet cemetery, such as the Boston Hills Pet Memorial Park in Hudson, Ohio.

This particular pet cemetery, as well as many others across the country, offers complete funeral and burial services, as well as pet cremation. It has been heralded as one of the most beautiful and tranquil pet cemeteries in the country, spanning 23 acres to provide dignified burial services. Veterinarians can often recommend pet cemeteries that are extremely private and remote, known for their caring and respectful burial arrangement services.

Pet cemetery burial plots range in price from about $100 to $500, depending on the type of casket used and the amount of grave maintenance desired. Caskets can be as simple wooden or plastic containers or as luxurious as silk and satin linings. They may be ordered directly from a pet cemetery or purchased independently. Owners may also bury their pets with special mementoes such as favorite toys, pillows, blankets, or other significant items.

Cremation

Another meaningful option for memorializing pets is through cremation, which allows an owner to retain their pet’s ashes inside a decorative urn. Owners may choose to be present at an individual or family cremation ceremony or simply acquire the ashes to conduct their own commemoration services at a later time. While some owners decide to proudly display their pets’ urns, others scatter the ashes in a meaningful spot such as a garden, park, pet cemetery or other significant location that was special to both owner and pet.

Cremation services typically cost $100 to $200 and include an urn, available in may shapes, sizes, and colors. Many owners choose simple, wooden boxes, while others select more ornamental containers. Despite the style of urn, owners may place beloved pet items with their pets’ ashes such as collars, favorite toys, name tags, or other special mementoes. Veterinarians have established relationships with crematoriums and can refer pet owners to suitable providers.

Preservation

Pet parents can also choose to memorialize their pets through preservation. In the pet preservation process, animals are freeze dried over a period of four to six months so as to be preserved in their actual bodily form. One of the most important elements of pet preservation is the immediate need for an owner to have a veterinarian freeze the remains of their pet within eight hours to ensure the best results. One feature of pet preservation is that owners can submit photographs of their pets in certain positions and have the preservation expert conserve their animals in those stances.

Many pet owners often confuse pet preservation with traditional taxidermy, which preserves an animal in a much more generic way. For example, an owner’s cherished cat may look more like any generic cat when preserved. For that reason, many taxidermy experts will not work with actual pets unless specifically contracted for custom work, thus indicating the benefit of pet preservation.

Memorials

Lastly, pet owners can honor their lifelong friends with many types of memorials such as commemorative wall plaques, painted murals, picture collages, and formal portraits. Items that were special to both owner and pet, such as collars, favorite toys, blankets, clothing, and tags, can be placed under glass or featured in a decorative collection. These special mementoes can serve as precious reminders of the happy and fulfilling times spent with your pet and often help during the grieving process.

Above all, it is very important that pet owners and their families choose a memorial that is comfortable and fitting to all. Veterinarians are extremely knowledgeable about different burial options and can provide both expertise and empathy to pet owners during the grieving process.