If your pet has died at home, call your usual vet or their out of hours service. They can advise on care of your pet’s body and local aftercare arrangements. If you are uncertain whether your pet has died, treat this as an emergency and call a vet immediately.
You may be reading this with your pet still beside you. I’m so sorry. You do not have to solve every question on this page before making the first call. You can simply say, “I think my pet has died at home. Please tell me what I need to do next.”
Who should I call?
Start with your veterinary practice. Its recorded message may give an emergency number when the clinic is closed. Explain what has happened, where your pet is and whether you need help with transport. Ask for instructions suited to your pet and the circumstances. Avoid attempting to move a large pet on your own.
You may also be able to arrange aftercare directly with a pet crematorium. Before booking collection, confirm which organisation will take responsibility, when collection will happen and the full charge. If the death was unexpected, ask your vet whether anything needs investigating before cremation is authorised.
What should I ask on the first call?
- Can you guide me on what to do with my pet’s body until collection or arrival?
- Can you arrange collection, or should someone bring my pet to you?
- Who provides the cremation service, and can I contact them directly?
- If I want ashes returned, what service must I request?
- What are the total costs, and which choices can I decide later?
- Can you help me keep their collar or arrange a paw print, if I want one?
Do I have to choose cremation immediately?
Ask how long the provider can care for your pet while you decide, whether there is a storage charge and when instructions are needed. Do not assume there is no deadline. Burial may be another option, but local rules, land permission and your pet’s circumstances matter. Ask your vet for local guidance before making arrangements.
What if I want their ashes back?
Say this clearly before agreeing to aftercare. Ask the provider to explain the exact service, how identification is maintained and what will be returned. Our guide to cremation choices gives you questions to take into that conversation.
What can wait until later?
A decorative urn, a photograph for a portrait and a permanent place in your home can usually wait once you have confirmed how the ashes will be returned and safely kept. Ask about a suitable temporary container. You do not need to buy something today to prove how much your pet meant to you.
If a handmade memorial feels right later, you can look at my ceramic pet portrait urns. For now, the useful next step is the phone call.
About this guide
I’m Tammy, the ceramicist behind Farbe Ceramics. I can help with memorial design and the practical fit of a ceramic urn. Veterinary decisions belong with your vet, and cremation arrangements should be confirmed with your local provider. Services and rules differ between countries.
Sources checked on 22 October 2026: RSPCA: saying goodbye and sudden loss; APPCC: questions to ask a cremation provider.