Planning a goodbye for your pet in Pembroke Pines
By our estimate, about 65,000 households in Pembroke Pines have a dog or a cat, and roughly 5,400 of those pets die each year. Every one of those families decides how to say goodbye. Here's how to plan yours.
- Home, garden or viewing-room farewells
- Witnessed cremation and cemetery burial explained
- Plan it all within a day if you need to
Pembroke Pines, Florida
How families in Pembroke Pines say goodbye to a pet
Pembroke Pines has a large retiree population, and for many older residents a pet is their daily companion and closest routine. Losing that pet can be a profound loss. If you live alone, tell a neighbor, friend or family member, and consider reaching out to pet loss support groups in Broward County or online. Grieving a pet is real and deserves care.
Families in Pembroke Pines come from many cultures and faiths, and a pet farewell can reflect that: a prayer, a candle, a small altar with photos, or a quiet gathering by the lake behind your home. Some families attend a private cremation to say goodbye. Choose whatever feels right, and don't feel pressured to hold anything formal. Evenings by the water, once the heat eases, suit a small gathering.
If you want a graveside service, check early whether there's a pet cemetery that serves Pembroke Pines. Some mid-size cities have one, many rely on a cemetery in a neighboring area, and a few human cemeteries now set aside a pet section. Ask about opening fees, weekend services and whether you can bring your own flowers and readings.
About 176,714 people live in Pembroke Pines, which makes it the 11th-largest of the 235 Florida communities we cover. Hialeah, roughly 11 miles off, is the closest larger centre, and a share of the providers who cover Pembroke Pines run from there.
Nearby, we also have local pages for Miramar (2 miles), Cooper City (3 miles) and Davie (5 miles), which can help if your vet or the provider you prefer is based there.
Our estimate
65,000
Estimated dog- or cat-owning households in Pembroke Pines
How we calculated this
176,714 ÷ 2.5 = 70,686 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 65,000. A household with several pets counts once.
Our estimate
5,400
dog and cat deaths per year in Pembroke Pines, our estimate
How we calculated this
65,000 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 5,400 a year. Treat it as a minimum.
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.
To check the figures yourself, see American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry and Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
Local customs and your pet's farewell
Scattering is common where cremation is the norm, and with about 72.5%[5] of people in Florida 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].
That Florida rate is a human one, published by NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). We quote it for Pembroke Pines only as a pointer to how families here already think about cremation.
How the seasons in Pembroke Pines affect the day
Candles, flowers and printed photos all suffer in Pembroke Pines's summer heat, with highs near 91°F. For an outdoor ceremony, use battery candles or lanterns, keep flowers in water until the last minute and print photos on card rather than paper. Small practical choices like these keep the farewell calm instead of frantic.
Warm weather brings flies, which can upset children at an outdoor goodbye. Wrap your pet in a light cotton sheet with only the face showing, keep the outdoor part in deep shade and keep it short. During Pembroke Pines's May, June, July, August, September and October, many families simply move the ceremony indoors, with the curtains drawn and a fan running.
Pet funeral and burial prices for families in Pembroke Pines
If cost is on your mind, you're in good company: in a survey of more than 2,000 US owners, 61% said the cost of body care worried them [7]. Cemetery burial is less alarming for smaller pets. Across five posted US price lists, the median whole-body burial for a small pet, plot and opening included, is ~$350[8] by our estimate. Ask cemeteries near Pembroke Pines for a cremains plot price too.
The Florida 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 Florida before the ceremony
Pet cemeteries, parks and private gardens all have different rules. A cemetery handles the permissions for you; a garden burial or a scattering in public is your responsibility. If you rent, ask the landlord before digging. Here's what to know in Florida.
The official Florida local government directory lists every county and city office, which is the quickest way to find who to ask in Pembroke Pines.
The Florida page sets out who oversees pet cremation and what the state says about burial and scattering. Pembroke Pines's own bylaws can sit on top of that, so ask before you dig.
Planning a farewell in Pembroke Pines, step by step
- Decide who needs to be there. Pulling a few close people together within a day is manageable; the wider group can be invited to something later.
- Pick the place: home, garden, a favorite walk, a crematory farewell room or a cemetery.
- Check anything that needs permission, for example a burial on somebody else's property or scattering ashes in a public park.
- Plan a loose running order: arrival, an opening, shared memories, a song or reading, a small ritual, then the goodbye.
- Arrange the handover or burial for straight after the ceremony, so nobody waits around.
- Look after yourself afterwards. Eat something, let people help, and put the lead away only when you're ready.
The weeks and months after the goodbye
Children in Pembroke Pines' family neighborhoods may need help understanding a pet's death. Simple, honest words, a chance to ask questions and a role in the goodbye, such as drawing a picture or choosing a photo for the urn, all help. Books about pet loss for different ages are available at libraries around Broward County. Grandparents living nearby can often help children talk it through.
the guides answer the longer questions and the blog the newer ones, See what each option includes on our services page, or look at how readers voted in our polls, use the free tools before you ring anyone. You can also browse every city in the United States. Nearby, we also cover Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando and Port St. Lucie, and every city in Florida.
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.
When would you hold the farewell?
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Should young children be part of a pet's goodbye?
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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
Which nearby towns can I compare with Pembroke Pines?
The closest communities we cover are Miramar (about 2 miles), Cooper City (about 3 miles) and Davie (about 5 miles). Providers based in those places often serve Pembroke Pines too. Ask each one for a written total that includes collection, so the distance is priced in.
How many pet owners live in Pembroke Pines?
By our estimate, about 65,000 households in Pembroke Pines have at least one dog or cat, and around 5,400 are lost each year. We calculate this from the city's population of about 176,714, the average household size and national ownership and lifespan figures, so treat it as a floor rather than an exact count.
Will I have to travel to Hialeah to arrange things?
Not usually. Providers based in Hialeah (roughly 11 miles from Pembroke Pines) 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.
Is cremation common in Florida?
For people, yes: about 72.5%[5] of Florida deaths end in cremation, according to NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). Nobody publishes the same figure for pets, but in our experience pet choices in Pembroke Pines follow the human pattern closely, so cremation is the default most families here start from.
Should young children come to a pet's farewell?
Usually yes, if they want to, with a simple role and a way to step out. Use plain words like 'died' rather than 'put to sleep', explain what they'll see, and keep it short. In a large RSPCA survey, 93.4%[10] of parents wanted better guidance on helping children through pet loss, so you're far from alone in wondering.
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.
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 Florida's cremation rate at 72.5% 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] 61% of US owners in the Cooney survey rated the cost of after-death body care as a concern (27.9% concerned, 33.1% very concerned). 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.
- [8] Across five posted US pet-cemetery price lists, the median whole-body burial for a small pet, including plot and opening/closing, was about $350. Our estimate: median of [Rainier $150 plot incl. first burial, Cedar Bend $290, Forest $350, Great River $750, Precious Memories $1,500]. How we calculate.
- [9] Posted surcharges to witness or view a pet cremation range from $25 to $350, with a median of about $125 across four data points. Our estimate: median of [$25 guide low, $100 guide high, $150 NC provider, $350 VA provider]. How we calculate.
- [10] 93.4% of parents in the RSPCA survey wanted better guidance on helping children through pet loss. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
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.