Tell us about your pet, and we'll help with the rest
One short note is enough. We'll reply by email with local options for a viewing, a graveside service, a home farewell or cremation, plus what each typically costs.
- Free, with no obligation
- Replies by email, never pushy calls
- Options that match the goodbye you describe
Your note
What to include so we can help quickly
You don't need to have decided anything. A rough picture is enough for us to point you in the right direction. If you can, mention:
- Your pet: species, rough weight, and whether they've died or you're planning ahead.
- Where they are now: at home, at your vet, or at an emergency clinic.
- Your area: a town, city or ZIP or postcode. Prices and options vary a lot by place.
- The goodbye you're picturing: a home ceremony, viewing, witnessed cremation, graveside service or a later gathering.
- Cremation or burial, if you know. If not, say so and we'll explain both.
- Anything that matters to you, such as a faith tradition, children attending or a budget limit.
If you're unsure what's possible, glance at our pet funeral services first. It only takes a couple of minutes, and it may help you describe what you want.
What happens next
What happens after you send your note
- We read your note and look at who serves your area: crematories with farewell rooms, pet cemeteries, home-visit vets and ceremony helpers.
- We reply by email with the options that fit, what each usually includes, typical prices where we have them, and the questions to ask.
- You contact whichever provider you like, or none. We don't book on your behalf and you pay the provider directly.
Most families contact a provider their vet suggests, and that's often fine. In a published survey of 2,043 US dog and cat owners, 48.8%[1] named their vet team as their main source of advice on pet death. Our reply simply gives you a second view, so you can compare before you commit. That matters: the UK's Competition and Markets Authority found that 89%[2] of people who bought a pet cremation never compared providers. By our estimate, that leaves only about 6%[3] of all bereaved UK owners shopping around before they choose.
If it's urgent
If your pet has just died, do these three things first
Email isn't the right tool for the next hour, so here's what to do while you wait for our reply.
- Keep your pet cool. Lay them on a towel, their bed or a soft blanket in the coolest room, away from sun. You usually have several hours.
- Call your vet if you need your pet collected or held in a cold room. Ask how long they can wait so people can say goodbye.
- Take keepsakes now. A paw print, fur clipping or the collar is far easier to keep before collection.
26.1% want <24h[4]
64% reject trash bag[5]
Once those are done, the farewell planner helps you organize a short ceremony for the same day or later in the week.
Before the day
Writing to us while your pet is still with you
A lot of our notes come from people whose pet is old or ill. That's a good time to plan, because you can think clearly about where the goodbye happens and who should be there. Grief often starts early: in the RSPCA's pet-loss survey, 75.4%[6] of owners felt anticipatory grief before their pet died.
If that's you, tell us roughly how much time you think you have, whether you'd like the vet to come to your home, and whether you want a small ceremony beforehand. Some families hold a gentle "last good day" with favorite food and a final walk, then keep the actual goodbye very quiet. Our article on a formal service or a private goodbye may help you choose.
Scope
What we can and can't help with
We can help with: understanding your options; finding local crematories, pet cemeteries and home-visit vets; typical prices; planning the ceremony; ideas for children; and questions to ask before you pay anything.
We can't help with: emergency veterinary care, legal advice on burying on your land, booking or paying on your behalf, or grief counseling. For burial rules, your local council or county office is the authority. For support with grief, our grief check-in points to helplines in the US, UK and Australia.
Who would you want at your pet's farewell?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Your details
How we look after what you tell us
We use your note only to reply to you. We don't sell your details or add you to a mailing list without asking, and we don't pass your contact information to providers unless you ask us to. You can ask us to delete your message at any time by replying to our email.
If you'd rather not share anything yet, that's fine too. The memorial budget planner and our pet funeral planning guide work entirely without sending us anything. You can learn more about who we are on our about page.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
Vote anonymously and see how other readers answered. The results are live counts from people who visit this site, so they show real opinions, not a scientific sample.
Who would you want at your pet's farewell?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
When did you (or will you) decide on aftercare?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Did you (or would you) compare more than one provider?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Questions people ask
How quickly will you reply?
We reply by email as soon as we can, but we don't promise a set time. If your pet has just died and you need collection today, call your vet or a local crematory directly first, then send us your note for a wider look at options and prices.
Is there a charge for sending a request?
No. Sending a note and receiving our reply is free, with no obligation. If you go ahead with a provider, you pay them directly at their price, so always ask for a written total that lists every item.
Can I contact you while my pet is still alive?
Yes, and many people do. Planning ahead gives you time to think about where the goodbye happens, who is there and what you'd like afterwards, without making decisions in a rush. Just tell us you're planning ahead.
Will providers call me after I send my note?
Not because of us. We reply to you by email with options, and you decide who to contact. We only share your details with a provider if you specifically ask us to.
Can you help me plan a ceremony in another country?
We can help with general planning anywhere, and we have price and custom information for the US, UK, Canada, Australia and Japan. Local options outside major cities can be thin, and we'll tell you honestly if we can't find much near you.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] 48.8% of US pet owners named their veterinary team as their primary resource for recommendations on pet death and dying. Cooney, Kogan, Brooks, Ellis - Pet Owners' Expectations for Pet End-of-Life Support and After-Death Body Care, Topics in Companion Animal Medicine (2020), 2020.
- [2] 89% of UK owners who bought a pet cremation did not compare different providers; 9% did. UK Competition and Markets Authority - Veterinary services for household pets, Provisional decision report Part A (Oct 2025), 2025.
- [3] Only about 6% of all bereaved UK pet owners compare cremation providers before buying. Our estimate: 67% cremate x 9% compared = 6.0%. How we calculate.
- [4] The most common owner preference (26.1%) was for a deceased pet to stay at the vet hospital less than 24 hours before transport to the crematory or cemetery; a further 18.1% said no more than 1-2 days. Cooney, Kogan, Brooks, Ellis - Pet Owners' Expectations for Pet End-of-Life Support and After-Death Body Care, Topics in Companion Animal Medicine (2020), 2020.
- [5] 64% of US owners rated a trash bag as an unacceptable container for a deceased pet; 66.1% rated a blanket/shroud acceptable. Cooney, Kogan, Brooks, Ellis - Pet Owners' Expectations for Pet End-of-Life Support and After-Death Body Care, Topics in Companion Animal Medicine (2020), 2020.
- [6] 75.4% of RSPCA pet-loss survey respondents experienced anticipatory grief before their pet died. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
Start planning your pet's farewell
Tell us what you need and where you are. We'll reply by email with clear options and prices so you can decide in your own time.