My dog just passed away what do i do

Posted on: 29th September 2021

Losing a long-loved pet is always a difficult and sad time for pet owners. If your pet passes away at a veterinarian, they will likely handle the remains for you.  If you lose your pet at home, simply place a call to your local pet crematorium or cemetery as soon as possible, they should be well-equipped to organise a burial or cremation, depending on your personal choice.  

If your pet was elderly or unwell, then you may have some end-of-life plans in place. Planning ahead can sometimes help ease the grief and avoid any panic in the immediate aftermath. However, if not, you still have plenty of options. In this article, we’ve put together a quick guide on how to handle the passing of a dog at home. 

What to expect?

When your dog first passes, it may be difficult to handle their remains and you may want your pet to be collected immediately. Alternatively, you may want to stay with your pet for a while. It’s normal to experience a range of feelings and everyone’s experience of grief will be different.

Expect that your dog may still show signs of ‘life’ like twitching, expelling air, and release of bodily fluids and gas, these are just natural bodily functions that may continue after a dog dies naturally. Being prepared for these responses will help, as this can be difficult to navigate. 

Drop off or collection

Whether you choose the burial or cremation option, you can choose to take the pet’s body directly to the crematorium yourself or they might be able to arrange to collect your pet with their own transport. Once you’ve made your choice, the next step is to contact your local pet crematorium or cemetery to arrange collection or drop off and let them know whether you want to stay with your pet for while or if you’d prefer for your pet to be collected immediately. 

If you chose to remain with your pet for some time, your pet should be left in a cool room for no longer than 24 hours. You should also be aware that rigor mortis – the stiffening of joints after death – can begin to set in from anywhere from 10 minutes to 3-4 hours after death.

On the other hand, if you choose to take your pet to the crematorium yourself, it is important to ensure that you line your car seat or boot with a protective material. Be sure to always wear gloves and thoroughly clean the area.

What are your options?

Even where the loss is unexpected, you still have the option to choose between cremation and burial. You also have the option of individual cremation, where your pet will be cremated alone within a clean, enclosed chamber or communal contraception, where a small number of pets will be cremated together. With communal cremations, we do not pass on cremains out of respect to all individual owners.  Individual pet cremation means you are guaranteed that the cremains you receive will be all and only those of your beloved pet. You can also choose to have plaques, plinths and memorial stones to commemorate your dog’s life; or personalised jewellery to carry the memory of your pet with you. 

Grieving your dog

It’s natural to experience grief when losing your beloved companion. Grieving is always difficult, but there are many support groups and organisations to reach out to during this time. We have put together some excellent options and resources for help and support. 

If you need help with the cremation of your beloved pet, please give us a call on 01604 740864 or email .

Losing a dog is never easy, and losing a dog at home can be especially challenging. You’re likely full of emotion, and now there is a body to handle. And, your beloved large or extra-large dog likely posed some challenges in life, but now his or her large body may pose some special challenges in death. People who own dogs like Great Danes and Mastiffs may have a more difficult time handling the body when their dog dies. 

Below we provide some useful tips on what you need to do.

Evaluate Your Situation

Take a deep breath. Your dog still needs you, even though they’ve passed on. Now you need to double-check that your dog has passed. Feel for a heartbeat or a pulse, and if you think your dog might still be alive, you can try to start CPR or take them to a 24-hour animal hospital. 

Call Your Veterinarian

Once you’re sure your dog has passed, the next step is to call your veterinarian’s office. A vet’s office will take your dog’s body and either dispose of it for you or store it for you before you have a cremation or burial. They might also know of resources like a pet crematory or a mobile vet service. 

Call Someone for Help

Now that you’ve assessed your dog’s state and called the vet’s office, what next? Call someone for help. You’ll need emotional support, as well as physical help for moving the body if you’re taking it to a vet’s office or crematorium. Choose someone calm and compassionate, as well as physically strong, to support you while you handle your pet’s body. If you feel unable to handle your pet’s body yourself, ask someone you trust to take over. 

Handling Your Dog’s Body

Here’s how to safely, lovingly, and respectfully take care of your dog’s body.

1. Put gloves on to touch the body. When a death occurs, bodies may start to leak fluids from the mouth, genitals, and anus. Be prepared for more waste to be released when you move the body. You can gently clean your dog’s body if you wish. Using a damp cloth, wipe the released fluid up and throw the cloth away. 
2. Find several blankets, towels, or bed sheets large enough to wrap around your dog’s body. It may take several blankets or towels due to your dog’s size.
3. If you have extra-large trash bags, grab a couple of them too. You’ll need to place one of the trash bags inside the other so you can double bag the body to help prevent fluids from leaking out.
4. Gently arrange the body on the blanket, towels, or sheets. Lay the body on its side, and arrange the limbs so that it looks like your dog is sleeping. This is respectful and also will make it easier to move the body. 
5. Securely wrap the body in the blanket, sheet, or towel. Next, carefully slide the body into the trash bags. You’ll need help with a dog this size. 
6. Secure the bag with either a knot or some tape.
7. Place a label with your dog’s name and your information securely on the plastic bag.

Now you’re ready to take your dog’s body to the vet’s office for storage, or to the pet crematorium, or to wait for someone to come and pick up your dog. 

If you can’t reach your vet or pet crematorium because it’s after hours, you may need to store the body in your garage or basement. If you’re waiting more than a few hours, you might want to wrap your dog’s body in more plastic bags to prevent mess and odor. 

What Do I Do With The Body?

It’s important to deal with your dog’s body right away. Decomposition starts immediately after death, so you can’t wait on this. It’s not a pretty process, and the hotter the temperature, the quicker the body will decompose. While immensely difficult, this is a way to honor your beloved dog and to keep yourself and those around you safe. 

Next, the body must be removed or properly stored in refrigeration until burial or cremation. A 24-hour vet’s office can help with this, or some pet crematories work 24/7 and could pick up the body right away. If you have someone come to pick up the body, make sure you tell them it’s the body of a large or extra-large dog. 

Having Your Dog Cremated

Cremating your dog allows you many ways to honor and remember your beloved pet. It’s also typically less expensive than burial, though you can also bury part or all of your pet's ashes if you wish.

The Living Urn offers many beautiful and meaningful urns. Their most popular pet urn is their BioUrn, which plants a young tree with the remains of your dog. The tree uses the ashes from cremation as nourishment and turns your dog into a beautiful tree. They also offer bamboo pet urns that can be engraved with an image of your dog. These beautiful urns can be displayed in the home allowing you to keep a piece of your wonderful dog with you, or used to scatter or bury your beloved pet's ashes.

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