Saying goodbye to your pet in University Park, your way
By our estimate, about 9,300 households in University Park 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.
- Home, garden or viewing-room farewells
- Witnessed cremation and cemetery burial explained
- Plan it all within a day if you need to
University Park, Texas
Choosing where the farewell happens in University Park
A garden gathering with a short poem and coffee is how some Park Cities families mark the day. Others ask a clergy member from their church to say a few words at home, or light a candle at the next service. Viewings and attended cremations are offered by certain providers; raise either on the first call so you know what can be arranged.
Dallas offers a wide range of pet loss support, from counselors and weekly support groups to in-home euthanasia vets, most only a short drive from University Park. SMU students grieving a pet may find help through campus counseling. National helplines are there at night, when grief often feels heaviest and a friendly voice on the phone can make a real difference.
A small-town farewell can be as simple as a walk. Some families in and around University Park take their dog's usual route one last time with the lead in hand, then gather at home for the vet's visit or the burial. It costs nothing, needs no permission and gives everyone something to do with their hands and feet while they grieve.
About 25,323 people live in University Park, which makes it the 126th-largest of the 325 Texas communities we cover. Dallas, roughly 6 miles off, is the closest larger centre, and a share of the providers who cover University Park run from there.
If you want to compare providers, look at Highland Park (2 miles), Dallas (5 miles, a larger centre) and Farmers Branch (7 miles). Distance matters because pickup fees and the time until the ashes come back both grow with the drive.
Our estimate
9,300
How many dog- or cat-owning households University Park has (estimate)
How we calculated this
25,323 ÷ 2.5 = 10,129 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 9,300. A household with several pets counts once.
Our estimate
780
dog and cat deaths per year in University Park, our estimate
How we calculated this
9,300 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.
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.
Faith, tradition and pet goodbyes in Texas
Cremation now accounts for about 55.7%[5] of deaths in Texas, but burial still has deep roots. You may find the family split, with older relatives wanting a grave and younger ones preferring ashes at home. Burying the ashes after cremation often settles it: there's a place to visit, and the ceremony can wait for good weather.
For the Texas figure we rely on NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). Read it as a picture of local custom around death and remembrance in University Park rather than as pet data.
How the seasons in University Park affect the day
Heat and ashes go together better than heat and burial. Many University Park families cremate in summer and hold the burial or scattering of ashes in a cooler month, when a morning in the garden or the park is pleasant rather than punishing. There's no time limit on ashes, so choose a date for comfort, not urgency.
If family need a day or two to arrive in hot weather, don't try to keep your pet at home. Ask the vet or crematory to hold your pet in their cold room, then book a viewing there when everyone is in town. It gives you unhurried time together without worrying about the heat of August.
Where the money goes in a University Park pet funeral
Being present costs extra. One US pricing guide says viewing or witnessing a cremation typically adds $25 to $100 [6], and the posted surcharges we found run from $25 to $350, with a median of about $125 by our estimate [7]. Ask University Park crematories whether a short viewing is already included before paying for a separate appointment.
The Texas 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.
Burial, scattering and gathering rules in Texas
A farewell itself needs no permission anywhere: you can gather, speak and say goodbye at home as you wish. The rules start when the body or the ashes go into the ground or the open air. Here's what applies in Texas for burying at home and scattering ashes.
Texas keeps an official directory of local governments; use it to reach the county or city office that covers University Park.
Home burial and scattering are governed at the Texas level first; our Texas rules summary has the detail. Then check whether University Park or your HOA adds anything.
What to do first, and what can wait
- Decide who needs to be there. A small circle is easier to gather in a day; a bigger gathering can come later.
- Pick the place: home, garden, a favorite walk, a crematory farewell room or a cemetery.
- Check anything that needs permission, such as scattering in a park or burying on land you don't own.
- Plan a loose running order: gather, open, share memories, a reading or song, a ritual, the farewell.
- 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.
Marking the loss, now and later
Busy schedules can make grief easy to push aside, but it tends to come back at unexpected moments. Give yourself a little space: step away from a meeting, skip an event, or take a quiet evening. Children may need simple answers and a way to help, like choosing a photo or drawing a picture for a memory box that lives on a bedroom shelf.
look through our guides and the blog, try the free planning tools, or compare your instinct with the poll results, Our services overview lays out every option side by side. Close to University Park we also cover San Antonio, Houston, Fort Worth and El Paso; the full list for Texas and for the United States 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?
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Who would you want at your pet's 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
Does the University Park climate change what I should do first?
Only the timing. In August, with highs near 97°F, cool the body and book collection the same day. Winters here are mild enough that burial or scattering is possible in any month.
Which nearby towns can I compare with University Park?
The closest communities we cover are Highland Park (about 2 miles), Dallas (about 5 miles) and Farmers Branch (about 7 miles). Providers based in those places often serve University Park too. Ask each one for a written total that includes collection, so the distance is priced in.
Will I have to travel to Dallas to arrange things?
Not usually. Providers based in Dallas (roughly 6 miles from University Park) 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.
How many pet owners live in University Park?
By our estimate, about 9,300 households in University Park have at least one dog or cat, and around 780 are lost each year. We calculate this from the city's population of about 25,323, the average household size and national ownership and lifespan figures, so treat it as a floor rather than an exact count.
Can I have a religious blessing at my pet's farewell?
Yes. Many clergy will say a short blessing for an animal if asked, at home or by a grave, and some pet cemeteries can suggest a celebrant. Start with your own faith community. In Japan, some pet memorial parks include chanting by a monk at a witnessed cremation, which shows how naturally faith and pet funerals can sit together.
Can I be there when my pet is cremated if I live in University Park?
Possibly, but it may mean a drive. Smaller places often send pets to a crematory in a larger centre such as Dallas, so ask your vet which one they use and call it directly. Some families take their pet there themselves, hold the farewell in the car park or a quiet room, and stay while the cremation begins.
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 Texas's cremation rate at 55.7% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [6] Memorials.com's pet cremation cost guide says viewing or witnessing the cremation typically adds $25–$100. Memorials.com – Pet Cremation Cost Guide 2026, 2026.
- [7] 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.
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.