It's not always so bleak. I know that the crematorium in colchester does the pet cremations from the vets in the area. If you leave them at the vets, they cremate them in a masse cremation, then scatter the ashes on the pet cemetery in the cemetery grounds. It's a beautiful spot and the roses grow especially beautifully there. All animals get the same treatment, even the strays, there is some dignity in death at least and in some cases at last.

When Jackjack was cremated. I asked that he was cremated separately and his ashes returned in a simple cardboard box. It cost about £150. I scattered his ashes in the same place as the ashes of my best friend Louise who died the year before.

My last GSD died very unexpectedly when I wasn`t with her so I had trouble coming to terms with it and had her cremated separately and returned. The box is still in my wardrobe as I haven`t been able to scatter the ashes yet. I won`t do it again - it feels like you`re losing them twice.

i'm sorry to hear this.
my thoughts are with you all tomorrow

The important thing is to treasure all the time you have left and to remember all the good times. Give him cuddles and be as happy as you can for him. It is our sad final duty to be there and hold their paw to the end, but once they have gone. When that time comes, he will be free, he will be that puppy and dog again that you remember in spirit and his spirit will remain with you in your hearts forever. He will have no further need for his physical remains.

Burial or cremation is a final process for those of us left behind to have closure and to let go of that final tangible reminder of the passing of the friend you treasured forever. But there are many ways to do this... You don't need the actual physical remains, he won't mind even if he has gone to a group cremation, he is not there, he's with you.

You could take his favourite toy, his collar and his water bowl and bury those as a memorial to him, you could buy a small stone dog statue, place it in your garden and plant a rose bush, or your favourite flower (Daffodils would be beautiful as they will flower every year at this time of year and be a beautiful reminder of him)... You could invite your friends over and raise a glass or two in his memory.

Sadly we had to have our irish setter pts 2 years ago,it cost£150 this was just for the pts was told if we wanted him cremated it would be another £120 and we were not allowed to take him with us,not sure why to upset at the time to ask wish now we had,i still wonder what happened to him we are in falkirk.

I am so sad for you - it is a truly awful time.

When a person or a dog is cremated and the ashes are returned to us, is this not only a token gesture? I have been told that even with a beloved person, there is no such thing as an "individual" cremation and that the ashes returned to you are only those of everyone cremated at that same time.

I am sorry to say that I think those who pay for "individual" animal cremation are being unfairly conned into paying out at a time of extreme emotion in the belief that it is their beloved creature's ashes in the box which is returned to them.

I don't believe this is the case with people any more than it is with animals.

How it's done in the USA..........

Here we have various pet cemetaries where the sky is the limit as to how much you want to pay. Anything from a service with a casket and burial plot or cremation. A lot of us bury our pets in our back yards. I'm curious, is this forbiden in other parts of the world?

Not all vets deal with the remains of animals the same. My vet sends the animals that are not returned to their owners to a crematorium where they are cremated together. She can also arrange for the crematorium to pick up 1 pet for an individual cremation, cost $150. Other vets send animal remains to a landfill, which I consider absolutely awful.

We have 2 acres of land and so far have buried all of our deceased, beloved pets
in our back yard. I grieve so deeply for our pets. One day I stumbled onto a website called Artistic Etching which makes flat, river stone, pet markers. You personalize them from a wide selection of choices and sizes. I started buying the markers and placing them on our pets' graves. My husband created beautiful flower gardens around the grave site. It is very pleasant and has really helped me let go of my grief. I could pick the stones up and take them with us if we ever decided to move.

The death of any of our pets is always a dramatic experience in my life. We have only had 2 of our pets die at home, the others were euthanized by our vet due to serious medical conditions that developed in their later years and hindered their lives. When I think back on all the times I've faced watching my pets health decline and the measures I have taken to prolong their lives, I know I do this out of selfishness on my part, not what's best for them. I NEVER want to let them go.

We have 2 Old English/mix sheep dog liter mates that are 11 years old now. Blondie has Cushings Disease and Rascal has an inoperable tumor at the base of her heart. I know their days are numbered. Every night I pray that they will die at home and I won't have to have them euthanized. We are considering cremating them when the time comes and placing them in another spot on our property and starting another flower garden. One good thought about knowing that your dogs are not going to be around that much longer is the time we have left together is so very precious and special. My heart goes out to everyone who has lost a pet or is living in those end days with a beloved pet.

Hairy

I lost my beloved TT last year, he could no longer stand and had to be put to sleep. I was with him to the end and don't regret leaving him for cremation. Its a personal thing, you do whats best for you. For me, I have kept his collar, tag and favourite things and have a lovely photo of him with a candle either side which give me a daily reminder. After a while you remember the good times

We paid roughly £100 to have our cat cremated at the end of last year. So, it may not be as expensive as your friend might think.

This is what we did for our cat. We placed it in the garden on the place he always sat (near our decking - he loved to sunbathe) and scattered his ashes over it.