Pet Cremation Services

I created this site because I am passionate about pet owners being given an informed choice and them ultimately getting the service they want for their much loved pet. Although I strive for complete openness and honesty in describing the services my own pet crematorium offers it is a sad fact that many people do not have the service they are being offered (normally through their veterinary practice) explained to them in any detail whatsoever. Whilst some people may be content that their pet will be removed with no special handling along with scores of other bodies and clinical waste many owners would want a more respectful send off for their companion. It is therefore essential for you to look around and choose the pet crematorium you want to look after your pet rather than have that choice made for you. I hope the information I have put together will give you an insight what goes on behind closed doors. If you visit www.appcc.org.uk you will find a list of smaller respectful pet crematoriums throughout the UK and Europe that all adhere to a Code of Practice to help and protect you. Please also feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Kind regards

Kevin Spurgeon
Partner, Dignity Pet Crematorium

Pet Cremation Services explained

Nowadays an increasing amount of owners are choosing an individual pet cremation service following the death of their much loved family pet.  Unfortunately due to numerous factors the decision of who to entrust your pet to is not straightforward.

This website is designed to explain the different services being offered.   The information is not designed to “knock” other pet crematoriums or to “sell” the services of my own specialist individual pet crematorium; merely to give you an honest insight into the pet cremation industry to help you know what questions to ask so you can make an informed decision as to who you would like to look after your pet’s body after their death.

Why is it important to research different pet cremation services?

As there is no regulation in our industry there are various methods of individual pet cremation employed at different pet crematoriums that use very different machinery to one another. Likewise, each pet crematorium will store, transport and handle your pet differently and it is important that you find out and are comfortable with the entire process before entrusting your pet to someone. I think individual pet cremation should encompass the whole process to ensure your pet gets the send off that they deserve.

What normally happens to pets after euthanasia?

The truth is that most pets left at the vet for an individual or communal cremation service will be taken away in a van, often alongside the clinical waste generated by the vet. The van will normally go on a “weekly round” and carry out a number of collections from the different vets that are contracted to that particular company before it returns to the pet crematorium or to a waste transfer station and unloads.

Pets will have been put in body bags and placed in a freezer by the vet. Bags for individual cremation are labelled with the pets’ details and it is more likely that pets are simply “processed” than respectfully cared for at these kinds of companies.

You can now see why it is important to carefully consider who looks after your pet after their death.

The one question I get asked more than any other is:
Why shouldn’t I just use the pet crematorium that my vet suggests?

Click here or on the question above to find out the answer!

Essential information on choosing the right Pet Cremation Service:

How to choose a Pet Crematorium
Pet Cremation answers