Planning a goodbye for your pet in Northglenn
Around 1,200 Northglenn families lose a dog or cat each year, by our estimate. Some hold a garden farewell, some book a viewing room, some choose a cemetery plot. Here's what each involves locally.
- Home, garden or viewing-room farewells
- Witnessed cremation and cemetery burial explained
- Plan it all within a day if you need to
Northglenn, Colorado
A goodbye that fits life in Northglenn
Retirees make up a sizeable share of Northglenn's older neighborhoods, and for many of them a pet sets the rhythm of each day. After a loss, the quiet can be overwhelming. Reaching out to a friend, a faith community or a therapist familiar with bereavement can help, and several grief groups in the north metro area welcome people mourning an animal.
Some Northglenn families pause for a quiet moment in a pet's memory by Webster Lake, a picnic in a favorite park or a new plant in the garden each spring. Others keep the farewell within the family. Most households around Denver now choose cremation, and many leave the ashes in the house for a long while before deciding anything further. Take all the time you need.
In Northglenn, the church hall, the community centre or a friendly café may be the natural place to gather after a pet's farewell, especially if half the town knew your dog from walks down the main street. A tea urn, a table of photos and an hour on a weekday afternoon is often all it takes.
Northglenn is home to about 38,893 people, the 24th-largest of the 36 Colorado communities we cover. The nearest larger centre is Denver, about 12 miles (19 km) away, which is where some providers serving Northglenn are based.
For a second opinion on price, Thornton (3 miles, a larger centre), Broomfield (5 miles, a larger centre) and Westminster (6 miles, a larger centre) are close enough that their providers cover Northglenn routinely. Two written quotes tell you more than any price list.
Our estimate
14,500
Northglenn: dog- or cat-owning households, our estimate
How we calculated this
38,893 ÷ 2.5 = 15,557 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 14,500. Multi-pet homes count once.
Our estimate
1,200
Northglenn families who lose a dog or cat each year (estimate)
How we calculated this
14,500 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 1,200 a year. A floor, not a ceiling.
53%[1]
53% of US households own a dog, which is about 71 million households.
12.69 years[2]
US dogs have an average life expectancy at birth of 12.69 years.
39%[3]
39% of US households own a cat, which is about 53 million households.
11.18 years[4]
US cats seen at Banfield hospitals have an average life expectancy at birth of 11.18 years.
The published sources behind those figures are Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science and American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry.
What local funeral habits mean for your pet
Scattering is common where cremation is the norm, and with about 77.4%[5] of people in Colorado cremated, some families want a pet's ashes to end up beside a person's. Rules on mixing remains in human cemeteries vary a lot, so ask first. The reverse happens too: about 800 people's ashes rest alongside their pets at one historic US pet cemetery [6].
Source for the Colorado number: NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). Nobody publishes a pet cremation rate for Northglenn, so the human figure is the best local signal available.
Planning around heat, cold and rain in Northglenn
Some families in Northglenn with an old or failing pet dig the garden grave in autumn, before the ground locks up in January, February, March, November and December, and cover it with boards and a tarp. It can feel bleak to do, but it means a winter goodbye can end in the garden, as planned, instead of waiting months for the thaw.
Winter farewells in Northglenn often move indoors, and that can be lovely: a fire or candles, a blanket, your pet on their own bed and the family close. If you want a symbolic outdoor moment, a single lantern placed in the snow at the spot where the grave or tree will go in spring is simple and memorable.
What a pet funeral costs in Northglenn
Pet cemetery burial costs about three times a private cremation in the US, by our estimate (3.2x[7]), because a plot, opening the grave and long-term care are all involved. That's why many families in Northglenn choose cremation followed by a small burial of the ashes, which keeps the graveside ceremony at a fraction of the price.
The Colorado price table breaks costs down by product; our services page explains what sits behind each line.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Permissions to check in Colorado before the ceremony
Beaches, rivers and lakes often have their own scattering rules, set by a different authority from parks, and some ask you to scatter a set distance from shore. Here's the general picture for Colorado; for the exact spot, check with whoever manages that land or water.
The official Colorado local government directory lists every county and city office, which is the quickest way to find who to ask in Northglenn.
The Colorado page sets out who oversees pet cremation and what the state says about burial and scattering. Northglenn's own bylaws can sit on top of that, so ask before you dig.
Planning a farewell in Northglenn, step by step
- Choose a day while your pet still has good moments, book the home visit, and settle the aftercare plan in the same phone call.
- Fill the days before with small favorites: an unhurried walk, a sunny spot on the floor, the food they're normally not allowed.
- Decide who will hold your pet and who would rather wait in another room. Both are loving choices, and nobody should be talked into either.
- Set out the blanket you're happy to send with them, with any drawing, note or toy that should go into the cremation or grave too.
- When the vet has finished, take as long as you need. The collection can wait an hour; ask them to step outside if you want privacy.
- Walk out to the car or van with your pet should you want to. Teams often carry pets on a basket or stretcher and are glad to let you take one end.
Remembering your pet in Northglenn
Northglenn's neighborhoods are full of long-time residents who have watched each other's pets and children grow up. When a pet dies, telling the neighbors on either side can bring unexpected comfort, since they may have their own memories to share. Before collection, a short family goodbye in the backyard or living room gives everyone a moment to say what they need to say.
or look at how readers voted in our polls, use the free tools before you ring anyone, there are guides for the big decisions and articles for the details, Compare every option on our services page. If you live between Northglenn and Colorado Springs, Thornton, Denver and Aurora, either page applies. Every other community in Colorado, and all of the United States, is listed too.
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?
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When would you hold the farewell?
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If you had to decide today, which aftercare would you choose for your pet?
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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
Will I have to travel to Denver to arrange things?
Not usually. Providers based in Denver (roughly 12 miles from Northglenn) collect from here as a matter of routine, and the paperwork is done by email or phone. If you want to be present for a witnessed cremation, that is when the drive matters.
Why does the Northglenn page quote a human cremation rate?
Because it is the best local signal we have. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) reports about 77.4%[5] of Colorado residents are cremated. There is no official pet equivalent, and inventing one would be worse than quoting a real, clearly labelled number.
Which nearby towns can I compare with Northglenn?
The closest communities we cover are Thornton (about 3 miles), Broomfield (about 5 miles) and Westminster (about 6 miles). Providers based in those places often serve Northglenn too. Ask each one for a written total that includes collection, so the distance is priced in.
Roughly how many pets die in Northglenn each year?
Our estimate is around 1,200. It comes from Northglenn's population (about 38,893), the average household size, the share of homes with a dog or cat (about 14,500 households here) and the average lifespan. It is arithmetic, not a count, so read it as a rough floor.
Can my pet's ashes be buried with me one day?
Sometimes. It depends on the cemetery's rules and local law, and many human cemeteries still don't allow animal remains in a grave. Some do, and a few pet cemeteries accept human ashes: about 800 people's ashes lie beside their pets at America's oldest pet cemetery [6]. Store the urn sealed and clearly named, and put your wishes in writing for your family.
Can I bury my pet at home in Colorado?
In many places, yes, with conditions such as depth, distance from wells and waterways and whether you own the land. Rules can differ within Colorado, and homeowner associations and leases can be stricter. Check with your city or county before digging. If you might move, burying the ashes in a planter keeps the grave portable.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] 53% of US households own a dog, which is about 71 million households. American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry, 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] 39% of US households own a cat, which is about 53 million households. American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry, 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] The NFDA projected Colorado's cremation rate at 77.4% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [6] The cremated remains of about 800 people are buried alongside their pets at Hartsdale Pet Cemetery. VOA News – America's oldest pet cemetery, 2024.
- [7] US pet cemetery burial for a dog costs about 3.2x a private cremation ($831 vs $260 national averages). Our estimate: 831 / 260 = 3.20. How we calculate.
- [8] A full Hartsdale pet burial costs about 28 times as much as an average pet cremation. Our estimate: USD 7,000 / USD 250. How we calculate.
Plan your pet's farewell with us
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.