Pet funerals and farewells in Des Moines
Around 1,000 Des Moines 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.
- Small, personal goodbyes that fit your family
- Questions to ask any provider or cemetery
- No pressure, no packages you don't need
Des Moines, Washington
Pet farewells in Des Moines: the local picture
The death of an animal can hurt as sharply as losing a person, and the dark, rainy months can make that hurt linger. Pet-loss hotlines run through veterinary schools, internet forums and therapists focused on animal bereavement are all within reach. If you're still unable to sleep or focus several weeks on, speaking with a professional is a reasonable next step.
A goodbye in Des Moines might be a family gathered on a deck at sunset, passing around photos and telling the stories everyone remembers. Others prefer a short visit at the provider's premises first; if that matters to you, ask whether a private room is available and whether it adds to the bill. Let children decide something small, like which blanket travels with the body.
Witnessed cremation is harder to arrange from a small town like Des Moines, 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.
Des Moines's population is around 33,032, the 40th-largest of the 67 Washington communities we cover. Tacoma, roughly 11 miles off, is the closest larger centre, and a share of the providers who cover Des Moines run from there.
Des Moines sits within easy reach of SeaTac (4 miles), Kent (5 miles, a larger centre) and Federal Way (5 miles, a larger centre). A provider based in any of them will usually collect from Des Moines; ask what the mileage adds to the bill.
Our estimate
12,000
How many dog- or cat-owning households Des Moines has (estimate)
How we calculated this
33,032 ÷ 2.5 = 13,213 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 12,000. Homes are counted once however many pets they keep.
Our estimate
1,000
dog and cat deaths per year in Des Moines, our estimate
How we calculated this
12,000 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 1,000 a year. The real figure is unlikely to be lower.
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.
Where these figures come from: Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science and American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry.
What local burial and cremation customs suggest
About 79.1%[5] of people in Washington are cremated, so most families here have been to a cremation service and know how one feels. That familiarity carries over to pets: a viewing before cremation, a few words said and ashes brought home is a pattern people recognise. It also means crematories are well established, and a farewell room or witnessed cremation is easier to find.
We take the Washington rate from Direct Cremate (citing CANA) (2024). It is a human statistic; there is no equivalent pet figure for Des Moines, and we would rather show a real number than invent one.
Planning an outdoor goodbye in Des Moines's climate
Even in mild Des Moines weather, a pet's body shouldn't be left outside or in a car while you wait for people to arrive. Keep them indoors, somewhere cool and away from direct sun, with a blanket beneath. If the wait will be longer than a day, ask the vet or crematory to hold your pet and plan a viewing.
Rain peaks in November in Des Moines, and a grave dug in waterlogged ground fills quickly. If the soil is soggy, choose a slightly raised spot, keep a board and tarp nearby and lay your pet to rest as soon as the hole is ready. Or cremate instead and lay the ashes in the ground on the first dry weekend.
Pet farewell prices for Des Moines families
If you'd like the goodbye to happen at home, the vet's visit is often the biggest single cost: at-home dog euthanasia averages about $410[6] nationally, against $139[7] in a clinic. Add cremation or burial, then whatever you choose for the farewell itself. Prices in Des Moines will sit around these national figures, higher in costlier areas.
We keep the detailed Washington price table on one page so it stays current: see Washington prices.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
What you can and can't do in Washington
Your city, county or local council can set tighter rules than Washington as a whole, especially for small suburban lots and land near drinking water supplies. A short call to the local environmental health or planning office settles it. The regional picture follows.
The official Washington local government directory lists every county and city office, which is the quickest way to find who to ask in Des Moines.
Start with the Washington rules, which cover burial, scattering and oversight for the whole state, and treat Des Moines's local ordinances as a possible extra layer.
What to do first, and what can wait
- 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: a slow walk, a patch of sun, the treat that's usually off limits.
- 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.
The weeks and months after the goodbye
Some families here prefer to wait for a bright summer evening at the marina or the beach park to remember an animal together, long after the ashes have come home. There's no pressure to pick a date; the remains can stay in their container indefinitely. Bringing a favorite photo and saying a few words is enough. Invite whoever walked the shoreline with you and your animal over the years.
use the free tools before you ring anyone, go deeper with the guides or catch up on recent articles, or look at how readers voted in our polls, See what each option includes on our services page. If you live between Des Moines and Vancouver, Bellevue, Seattle and Kent, either page applies. Every other community in Washington, 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.
When would you hold the farewell?
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
Why does the Des Moines page quote a human cremation rate?
Because it is the best local signal we have. Direct Cremate (citing CANA) (2024) reports about 79.1%[5] of Washington residents are cremated. There is no official pet equivalent, and inventing one would be worse than quoting a real, clearly labelled number.
Where are the providers that serve Des Moines actually based?
Some are local, and some run from Tacoma, about 11 miles away. That is normal for a town this size. What matters is the collection time they quote for Des Moines and whether the drive is priced into the total, so ask both up front.
How many pet owners live in Des Moines?
By our estimate, about 12,000 households in Des Moines have at least one dog or cat, and around 1,000 are lost each year. We calculate this from the city's population of about 33,032, the average household size and national ownership and lifespan figures, so treat it as a floor rather than an exact count.
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from Des Moines?
Usually yes. SeaTac is about 4 miles away, Kent is about 5 miles away and Federal Way is about 5 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
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.
Is an outdoor pet farewell practical in Des Moines?
For most of the year, yes. Des Moines's mild climate makes a garden ceremony, a tree planting or a gathering at a favorite park easy to arrange within days. Have a covered area or an indoor room ready in case of rain, keep the outdoor part short for older relatives, and don't leave your pet's body outside while you wait.
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] Washington had a 79.1% cremation rate in 2024, among the highest in the US. Direct Cremate (citing CANA), 2024.
- [6] CareCredit's 2025 cost study put the US national average for at-home dog euthanasia at $410 (range $325-$747). CareCredit (Synchrony) - How Much Does It Cost To Euthanize a Dog? (2025 ASQ360 procedural cost study), 2025.
- [7] CareCredit's 2025 cost study put the US national average for in-clinic dog euthanasia at $139 (range $110-$253). CareCredit (Synchrony) - How Much Does It Cost To Euthanize a Dog? (2025 ASQ360 procedural cost study), 2025.
- [8] 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.
Plan your pet's farewell with us
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