Saying goodbye to your pet in Farmington, your way
By our estimate, about 9,350 households in Farmington have a dog or a cat, and roughly 780 of those pets die each year. Every one of those families decides how to say goodbye. Here's how to plan yours.
- Real costs, not guesswork
- Ideas for including children gently
- Options that serve Farmington by email
Farmington, Minnesota
A goodbye that fits life in Farmington
Many Dakota County veterinarians will travel to a Farmington home or farm for euthanasia, allowing the last moments to take place in the kitchen, the yard or the barn aisle where the animal felt safe. Collection can wait until the hour you choose. Some families like to let other animals in the household see the body, which can help them understand the absence.
Minnesota families are generally at ease with cremation, which about 68.5% of the state chooses for people, and Farmington households often share that view for their animals. A remembrance might be a family meal with favorite stories, a stroll along the Vermillion, or planting something together once spring arrives. Kids who showed an animal at the county fair may want to write about it.
Witnessed cremation is harder to arrange from a small town like Farmington, because the nearest crematory may be an hour or more away. If being present matters to you, ask your vet which crematory they use and call it directly. Some families drive their pet there themselves, which also means the journey becomes part of the goodbye.
Farmington's population is around 25,425, the 44th-largest of the 67 Minnesota communities we cover. Saint Paul, roughly 20 miles off, is the closest larger centre, and a share of the providers who cover Farmington run from there.
The closest communities we cover are Lakeville (4 miles, a larger centre), Apple Valley (6 miles, a larger centre) and Rosemount (8 miles). Providers serving those towns often travel to Farmington too, so it can be worth asking them for a quote.
Our estimate
9,350
Farmington: dog- or cat-owning households, our estimate
How we calculated this
25,425 ÷ 2.5 = 10,170 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 9,350. Homes are counted once however many pets they keep.
Our estimate
780
Estimated dog and cat losses in Farmington each year
How we calculated this
9,350 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 780 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.
We built the this numbers from Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science and American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry, and both are worth a look if you want the detail.
Faith, tradition and pet goodbyes in Minnesota
About 68.5%[5] of people in Minnesota are cremated, so both traditions sit side by side here. Some families will instinctively want to bury their pet, others to bring the ashes home. A farewell works with either: a graveside moment in the garden or a pet cemetery, or a short ceremony before the pet is collected for cremation.
That Minnesota rate is a human one, published by NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). We quote it for Farmington only as a pointer to how families here already think about cremation.
Seasons, timing and ceremonies in Farmington
If you'd hoped to bury your pet in a Farmington garden in winter, ask a pet cemetery whether they can open a grave in frozen ground. Some can with the right equipment, some hold pets until the thaw, and some offer a winter service with the burial done later. Ask what happens and when before you choose.
Some families in Farmington 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.
What a pet funeral costs in Farmington
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 [6]. 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[7] by our estimate. Ask cemeteries near Farmington for a cremains plot price too.
Prices for Farmington track the wider Minnesota market, so use the Minnesota price table as your baseline and the services page to see what is included.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Local rules worth checking in Minnesota
Most of what happens at a pet funeral is up to you. The exceptions are home burial, which Minnesota and your city or county may regulate, and scattering ashes in parks or on land you don't own, which usually needs the owner's permission. The key points are below.
Minnesota keeps an official directory of local governments; use it to reach the county or city office that covers Farmington.
We keep Minnesota's burial and scattering rules in one place: the Minnesota rules summary. Before a home burial in Farmington, also ask the city whether local ordinances add anything.
Planning a farewell in Farmington, step by step
- Check gently that your pet has died: no breathing, no heartbeat against the chest, eyes open and still. If you're not sure, ring an emergency vet.
- Close the eyes if you can and curl the legs softly so your pet looks asleep; do this inside the first two hours or so, while the body is still supple.
- Slide an old towel or puppy pad underneath. After death the bowel and bladder often release on their own. This is expected and isn't a sign that something was wrong.
- Let your other animals come and sniff if they want to. Many owners feel it helps the pets left behind understand the empty bed.
- If it's the middle of the night and the house is cool, the calls can wait for daylight. Nobody minds if you spend one last quiet night beside them.
- Before collection or burial, hold ten minutes of goodbye, so that the last thing you remember is your own farewell and not an unfamiliar face at the door.
After the farewell: ways to keep the memory close
In a household where an animal was part of every morning's chores, the gap can feel enormous. Sadness that hangs on for weeks, or returns each year when fair season comes around, is a normal part of grief. Online communities for grieving pet owners never close, and some metro therapists specialize in the loss of animals. Friends who knew your companion will usually be happy to swap memories.
or see how other readers answered in our polls, See what each option includes on our services page, use the free tools before you ring anyone, read our guides and latest articles. Close to Farmington we also cover Brooklyn Park, Minneapolis, Saint Paul and Duluth; the full list for Minnesota and for the United States is a click away.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
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When would you hold the farewell?
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What kind of goodbye feels right for your pet?
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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
Does the Farmington climate change what I should do first?
Only the timing. In July, with highs near 83°F, cool the body and book collection the same day. In January, February, March, November and December, when lows sit below freezing, a home burial may have to wait for a thaw, so cremation with ashes returned keeps your options open.
Where are the providers that serve Farmington actually based?
Some are local, and some run from Saint Paul, about 20 miles away. That is normal for a town this size. What matters is the collection time they quote for Farmington and whether the drive is priced into the total, so ask both up front.
Is cremation common in Minnesota?
For people, yes: about 68.5%[5] of Minnesota 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 Farmington follow the human pattern closely, so cremation is the default most families here start from.
Which nearby towns can I compare with Farmington?
The closest communities we cover are Lakeville (about 4 miles), Apple Valley (about 6 miles) and Rosemount (about 8 miles). Providers based in those places often serve Farmington too. Ask each one for a written total that includes collection, so the distance is priced in.
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.
How much is a pet cemetery plot near Farmington?
It varies more than almost any other pet funeral cost. Across 15 US pet cemeteries, starting burial prices had a median of ~$600[9], while a typical full burial runs $1,500–$2,000[10] once opening, closing and a marker are added. Burying ashes in a cemetery plot usually costs less than a whole-body burial. Ask cemeteries near Farmington for the plot, opening fee and care fees separately.
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 Minnesota's cremation rate at 68.5% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [6] 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.
- [7] 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.
- [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.
- [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] Furever Memorials' review of 15 US pet cemeteries puts the typical pet burial at $1,500–$2,000. Furever Memorials – Pet Burial Cost (15 cemeteries), 2025.
Tell us about the goodbye you're planning
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