Plan your pet's farewell in five minutes, then print it
Grief makes simple decisions feel huge; 66.9%[1] of bereaved owners in one UK survey were surprised by how intense it was. This planner does the organizing, so you can be present on the day.
- Who, where, rituals and music in one place
- A checklist to tick off, copy or print
- Private: nothing you enter is sent to us
Farewell & memorial service planner
A goodbye doesn't need to be big to mean a lot. Choose what feels right and we'll turn it into a simple checklist you can print or copy.
Your plan
A farewell for our pet
At the crematorium
Next step: Arrange cremation or a service near you →
How it works
Four choices, one checklist
- Who. Close family, children, friends and neighbors, other pets, your vet or care team, or a celebrant or faith leader. Tick none and the plan reads "just us".
- Where. On this site the planner starts at the crematorium, for a viewing room or witnessed service. You can switch to at home, in the garden, a pet cemetery for a graveside farewell, a favorite walk or place, or online for people joining by video.
- Rituals. Pick any: lighting a candle, a reading or poem, planting, writing letters, a photo display, sharing memories, or scattering or burying ashes.
- Music. A song that meant something, quiet background music, or silence.
As you choose, the planner builds a checklist of what to prepare, such as a candle and matches, printed photos or a spade and compost, with a box to tick beside each job. You can print it or copy it into a message for whoever is helping. It takes about five minutes, and you can change anything later.
Behind the scenes
How the planner puts your plan together
There's no scoring or formula here, and no prices. Each person you tick adds a job, such as telling close family the time or asking a celebrant what they need. The place adds a practical check, like booking the cemetery or asking the crematorium about a viewing room, and each ritual adds what to prepare. Every plan ends with two standing items: decide who will open and close, and leave time afterwards. If children are coming, it suggests giving them a small role; an easy way to step out helps too.
The checklist is deliberately short, and it doesn't set times; sketch those yourself. Most home farewells last ten to thirty minutes, which is about as long as people can stay focused when they're upset. Our step-by-step guide on how to hold a pet funeral at home shows how to pace one. If you pick many rituals, consider moving some to a later gathering, such as a celebration of life when the ashes return.
We designed it around what families find hardest on the day: deciding who speaks, remembering the small items, and knowing when it's over. Our guide to pet funeral planning explains the reasoning behind each step.
Example
Worked example: a garden goodbye for an old cat
Imagine a family whose 17-year-old cat has died at home on a Thursday. They've chosen private cremation, and the driver is booked for 6 p.m. Two children, aged 7 and 12, and a grandmother who lives nearby will be there. An aunt abroad wants to join by video.
| Time | Step | Who |
|---|---|---|
| 5:15 | Cat laid on her favorite blanket in the garden, under the apple tree | Parents |
| 5:20 | Video call started, phone propped on a chair | 12-year-old |
| 5:25 | Welcome: one sentence about why we're here | Parent |
| 5:27 | One memory each, youngest first | Everyone |
| 5:40 | Candle lit; drawings tucked into the blanket | 7-year-old |
| 5:45 | Short poem read aloud | Grandmother |
| 5:50 | Quiet minute, last strokes, goodbye | Everyone |
They tick close family and children, switch the place to the garden, and choose a candle, a poem, shared memories and the photo display. The checklist reminds them to explain things to the children and give them a small role, plan a sheltered backup spot, find a candle and matches, choose the poem and its reader, print a favorite photo, and ask for one memory each. They add their own lines: charge the phone for the aunt's video call and clip a little fur for a keepsake before the driver arrives. The family also agrees that the 7-year-old can go inside at any point. Nothing on it costs money.
Using your plan
What to do with the plan once you have it
Share it with one helper. The person closest to the pet usually shouldn't have to run the event too. Give the helper the checklist and let them handle the candle, the phone and the timing.
If the farewell happens before cremation, tell the provider your planned finish time so the driver doesn't arrive mid-ceremony. If it's at a crematory viewing room or a pet cemetery, check how long you'll have and whether candles or music are allowed. Our services page explains what viewing rooms and graveside services usually include.
Which ritual would you most want at a pet's farewell?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Faith and culture
Adding a tradition that matters to you
The planner's "reading or poem" option is open, so you can add whatever fits: a psalm, a Buddhist chant, a secular poem, or words in your family's first language. If you'd like something secular and short, we've written readings for a pet funeral you can use as they are. In Japan, formal pet funerals are common and some families invite a monk; one Tokyo memorial park even offers a witnessed cremation with chanting.
~30%[2]
If you belong to a faith community, ask whether someone there would say a few words. Some will, even for a pet. If you don't, a moment of silence works across every tradition.
Honest limits
What the planner can't do for you
It can't tell you whether home burial is legal where you live; check with your city or county. It doesn't price anything; for that, use the memorial budget planner. And it can't book a viewing room, officiant or cemetery; those are arranged with the provider directly.
It also can't make the day painless. The goal is a calm, clear hour, not a perfect ceremony. Many people find the planning itself steadying: in the RSPCA's pet-loss survey, 75.4%[3] of owners grieved before their pet died, and having something practical to do can help in that period.
Next
From a plan on paper to a farewell on the day
If your plan needs a place or a provider, such as a pet cemetery, a crematory with a farewell room or a vet who comes to your home, send us your plan in a short note and we'll email local options. At-home euthanasia for a dog averages about $410[4] in the US, so it helps to know that figure if you're planning the goodbye itself at home. By our estimate, adding a private cremation brings a typical at-home goodbye for a dog to about $670[5], against about $399 with a clinic visit. Home goodbyes are common: in the Dog Aging Project, 22.8%[6] of euthanized dogs died at their owner's home.
Afterwards, the grief check-in is a private way to see how you're coping in the weeks that follow.
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.
Which ritual would you most want at a pet's farewell?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Who would you want at your pet's farewell?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
What helped you most in the first weeks?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Free tools to help you plan
Farewell & memorial service planner
Build a simple goodbye: who, where, readings, rituals and a checklist.
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Pet loss grief check-in
A private, two-minute check-in on how you're coping, with ideas that match where you are.
Questions people ask
How long should a pet farewell last?
Most home farewells last between ten and thirty minutes. That's long enough for a few memories, one ritual and a quiet goodbye, and short enough for children and anyone who's struggling. A celebration of life later on can run longer and feel more relaxed.
Can I hold the farewell before my pet dies?
Yes. Some families hold a gentle gathering while their pet is still comfortable, with favorite food, a last walk and people saying goodbye. The euthanasia itself can then be very quiet. The planner works just as well for a gathering like this.
What should I bring to a pet's graveside farewell?
A blanket or shroud, something to read, a candle or flowers, and anything you'd like buried with your pet, such as a toy or letter. For home burial, prepare the grave beforehand. Write them beside the planner's checklist once you've copied or printed it, so nothing is forgotten on the day.
Is the farewell planner free?
Yes. It's free, needs no account and runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to us. If you want local options for a venue or provider, you can send a separate note through the form.
Can people join a pet farewell online?
Yes. A phone or laptop on a video call lets distant family watch and speak. Ask one person to manage it, test the sound first, and give the online guests a turn to share a memory so they feel part of it.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] 66.9% of respondents were surprised by how intense their grief was after losing a pet. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
- [2] A 2023 Suncelmo survey of 391 Japanese pet owners found about 30% believed holding a funeral would help them avoid regret. The Japan News via Asia News Network - As pets become more like family, more owners in Japan are opting for elaborate funerals (Apr 2025), 2023.
- [3] 75.4% of RSPCA pet-loss survey respondents experienced anticipatory grief before their pet died. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
- [4] 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.
- [5] A typical US dog end-of-life bill is about $670 with at-home euthanasia plus private cremation, versus about $399 with clinic euthanasia plus private cremation. Our estimate: 410 + 260 = 670; 139 + 260 = 399. How we calculate.
- [6] Of euthanized dogs in the Dog Aging Project, 76.7% were euthanized at a veterinary clinic or hospital and 22.8% at the owner's home. Dog Aging Project End of Life Survey - Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (2026), via PubMed Central, 2026.
Need a venue, viewing room or cemetery?
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.