Planning a goodbye for your pet in Hobart
About 82,000 Hobart households share their home with a dog or cat, by our estimate. When the time comes, a small farewell helps. This page covers where to hold it, what it costs and who to call.
- A simple running order you can print
- Graveside and home ceremony guidance
- Help with timing around the weather
Hobart, Tasmania
Pet farewells in Hobart: the local picture
In a city of Hobart's size, the people around you often knew your pet too: neighbours, the local vet team, friends from the beach or the mountain tracks. A small farewell at home or in the garden, with those people invited, can be a simple way to mark the loss. Some families hold it before cremation, others wait until the ashes come home. Either is fine; do what feels right for your household.
Tasmania's long, dark winter evenings can make grief feel heavier, especially in the weeks after a loss. Keeping small routines, getting outside on bright days and talking about your pet with people who understand all help. If the sadness isn't easing or you're struggling to sleep or work, a counsellor or a pet loss support line can help, and talking to your GP is a reasonable step too.
Hobart is big enough to offer real choice in how you say goodbye, and small enough that you'll often deal with the same person from the first phone call to the return of the ashes. That makes it easier to ask for things that aren't on the price list: an extra half hour in the farewell room, a later collection time, or a candle lit before cremation.
Hobart's population is around 247,000, the largest of the 2 Tasmania communities we cover.
If you want to compare providers, look at Launceston (101 miles). Distance matters because pickup fees and the time until the ashes come back both grow with the drive.
Our estimate
82,000
Estimated dog- or cat-owning households in Hobart
How we calculated this
247,000 ÷ 2.5 = 98,800 households; × 49% (dog) + 34% (cat) = 82,000. Multi-pet homes count once.
Our estimate
6,800
Estimated dog and cat losses in Hobart each year
How we calculated this
82,000 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 6,800 a year. A floor, not a ceiling.
49%[1]
49% of Australian households have at least one dog, up from 40% in 2019.
12.69 years[2]
US dogs have an average life expectancy at birth of 12.69 years.
34%[3]
34% of Australian households have at least one cat, up from 27% in 2019.
11.18 years[4]
US cats seen at Banfield hospitals have an average life expectancy at birth of 11.18 years.
None of the figures on this this page are ours alone: they rest on Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science and Animal Medicines Australia, Pets in Australia 2025 (media release).
Funeral traditions in Australia and your pet
A high cremation rate, about 71%[5] in Australia, can make families assume every pet cremation is individual. It often isn't. Communal cremation returns no ashes, and 'partitioned' can mean several pets in the chamber at once. If you want your own pet's ashes back for a scattering or burial later, ask for 'private' or 'individual' in writing.
FuneralSmart (2023) is where the Australia figure comes from. It counts people; we use it because attitudes to cremating a pet in Hobart tend to follow attitudes to cremation generally.
When the weather shapes the goodbye
Seasonal flowers are the easiest way to mark a pet's farewell in Hobart: whatever is blooming in the garden or at the market that week. Lay a handful beside your pet or on the grave, and consider planting the same thing later so it comes into bloom again around the anniversary.
Pet funeral and burial prices for families in Hobart
In Australia, a survey of listed prices puts the median individual cremation at about AUD 412 median[6] for small pets and AUD 480 median[7] for a 20–30 kg dog. RSPCA Queensland's memorial packages start from AUD 250; within 14 days[8], which gives families a known date to plan a small farewell around. Viewing rooms and ceremonies are priced by each provider.
We keep the detailed Tasmania price table on one page so it stays current: see Tasmania prices.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Permissions to check in Tasmania before the ceremony
Renting changes what you can do. Many leases forbid digging, and a landlord can ask for anything buried to be removed. If you rent in Tasmania, a pet cemetery, cremation, or a big garden container holding the ashes sidesteps the problem. The wider rules are below.
In Australia, many councils restrict backyard burial in suburban areas, so check before planning a garden farewell. Summer heat shortens how long a home goodbye can last. RSPCA Queensland's memorial packages publish a return window [8], which is a helpful model: ask any provider for a return date so you can plan a gathering around it.
Home burial and scattering are governed at the Tasmania level first; our Tasmania rules summary has the detail. Then check whether Hobart or your HOA adds anything.
A simple plan for the hours ahead
- Find a small box and soft bedding, such as a shoebox lined with a cloth or some of their own nesting material.
- Choose between cremation and a garden grave. Tiny pets leave very little ash, so ask the crematory how they keep it separate and what it comes back in.
- For a garden grave, pick a spot on land you expect to keep, check the local rules, and plan a marker such as a flat stone or a pot plant.
- Invite whoever looked after them, even if that's one child and one parent. A small animal can leave a big gap.
- Say a few words or read a note, then lay a flower or a pinch of their favorite food on the lid.
- Clear the cage, hutch or tank slowly over a few days, instead of all at once that afternoon, so the space empties gradually rather than in one go.
The weeks and months after the goodbye
Children in Hobart families often feel a pet's death deeply, and they usually cope better when they're included honestly. Let them help plan a farewell, choose a spot in the garden, draw a picture or pick a keepsake. Older relatives who live alone may also lose a daily companion. A small ritual, even lighting a candle together on the anniversary, gives everyone a shared way to remember.
The services page is the place to compare what is included, try the free planning tools, or look at how readers voted in our polls, browse in-depth guides or recent articles. Close to Hobart we also cover Launceston; the full list for Tasmania and for Australia is a click away.
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.
Should young children be part of a pet's goodbye?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
What kind of goodbye feels right for your pet?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
If you had to decide today, which aftercare would you choose for your pet?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Free tools to help you plan
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Farewell & memorial service planner
Build a simple goodbye: who, where, readings, rituals and a checklist.
Aftercare options compared
Compare private, communal and water cremation with burial on cost, timing and what comes home.
Questions people ask
How do Australia attitudes to cremation compare?
FuneralSmart (2023) puts the Australia human cremation rate at about 71%[5]. We show it on the Hobart page because pet aftercare choices tend to track it: where cremation is normal for people, communal and private pet cremation are both easy to find.
Roughly how many pets die in Hobart each year?
Our estimate is around 6,800. It comes from Hobart's population (about 247,000), the average household size, the share of homes with a dog or cat (about 82,000 households here) and the average lifespan. It is arithmetic, not a count, so read it as a rough floor.
How soon should a pet funeral happen?
There's no fixed rule. Many families hold a short farewell on the day, before collection or burial, and a larger gathering later when the ashes come home. If people need time to travel, ask the vet or crematory to hold your pet in a cold room and book a viewing there when everyone arrives.
Can I bury my pet in the backyard in Hobart?
Often, but it's decided locally. In Australia and New Zealand, councils set the rules and many restrict backyard burial on suburban blocks; in Canada, municipalities and provinces set conditions such as depth and distance from water. In colder areas, frozen ground can rule it out for months. Ask your council or city office before digging, or bury the ashes later.
What do you say at a pet's funeral?
Something true and specific: their name, one habit that made everyone laugh and one thing you'll miss. A short poem, a prayer or a favorite song works if words are hard. Many families ask each person to share one memory. Two or three minutes of speaking is plenty, and nobody expects polish.
Is it normal to grieve this hard after a pet's funeral?
Yes. In an RSPCA survey of more than 4,000 bereaved owners, 66.9%[10] said they were surprised by how intense their grief was. The farewell often brings the loss home rather than ending it. Be patient with yourself, keep eating and sleeping as best you can, and talk to someone who understands. Our grief check-in can help you notice when it may be time to ask for more support.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] 49% of Australian households have at least one dog, up from 40% in 2019. Animal Medicines Australia, Pets in Australia 2025 (media release), 2025.
- [2] US dogs have an average life expectancy at birth of 12.69 years. Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science - Banfield Pet Hospital life expectancy tables (13.3 million dogs, 2.4 million cats, 2013-2019), 2023.
- [3] 34% of Australian households have at least one cat, up from 27% in 2019. Animal Medicines Australia, Pets in Australia 2025 (media release), 2025.
- [4] US cats seen at Banfield hospitals have an average life expectancy at birth of 11.18 years. Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science - Banfield Pet Hospital life expectancy tables (13.3 million dogs, 2.4 million cats, 2013-2019), 2023.
- [5] Australian cremation rates hovered around 70-72% between 2020 and 2023, with Sydney and Melbourne often above 80%. FuneralSmart, 2023.
- [6] An Australian provider survey of listed prices puts the median individual cremation at AUD 412 for pets up to 5 kg (range AUD 295-612). Pet Farewell (Australia) - Pet Cremation Cost Australia (2026), 2026.
- [7] Median Australian individual cremation price for 20-30 kg dogs (e.g. Labradors) is AUD 480 (range AUD 354-650). Pet Farewell (Australia) - Pet Cremation Cost Australia (2026), 2026.
- [8] RSPCA Queensland's Pets at Rest memorial packages (individual cremation) start from AUD 250, with the memorial returned within 14 days. RSPCA Queensland - Pet cremation (RSPCA Pets at Rest), 2025.
- [9] Across 15 US pet cemeteries' posted starting burial prices, the median entry price was about $600. Our estimate: median of starting prices [400,185,300,550,575,99,660.44,730,740,850,850,800,850,600,600]. How we calculate.
- [10] 66.9% of respondents were surprised by how intense their grief was after losing a pet. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
Tell us about the goodbye you're planning
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.