When a pet dies, the world can feel painfully ordinary around you. The clock keeps moving. The house is quiet in a new way. And you’re suddenly faced with decisions you didn’t want to make—while your heart is still trying to catch up to what just happened. If you’re asking “what to do after a pet dies,” you deserve guidance that is both compassionate and practical, because in the first hours, it’s easy to feel frozen.
Here is the steadier truth: you don’t have to do everything immediately. You can take a moment to breathe, to say goodbye, and to gather yourself before you make aftercare decisions. The Baltimore Humane Society puts it plainly: when a pet dies at home, you do not have to panic, and it is not automatically an emergency.
This guide walks you through what to do next, whether your pet died at home or at a veterinary clinic, how to keep your pet’s body cool and dignified while you make calls, and how to choose aftercare options like pet cremation or burial. It also explains the memorial decisions many families make afterward—like choosing pet urns for ashes, sharing keepsakes, or selecting cremation jewelry—so the “after” can feel a little less overwhelming.
The First Hour: What Matters Most Right Now
If you are at home and death seems clear, your first step is simply to pause. Some families light a candle, sit on the floor, and place a hand on their pet’s chest one more time. If you are unsure whether your pet has passed—especially if your pet was elderly or very ill—call your veterinarian or an emergency clinic and describe what you’re seeing. You don’t need the perfect words. It is enough to say, “My pet may have died. I’m not sure what to do.”
If your pet’s passing occurred at a veterinary clinic, the next steps are often simpler logistically because the clinic can coordinate aftercare. Even then, you still get to take a moment. Ask the staff for a quiet few minutes if you want them. If you’re emotionally able, you can also ask about keepsakes (paw prints, fur clippings) before your pet is transported for cremation or burial.
If you want a step-by-step guide focused specifically on home situations—storage, timing, transport, and who to call—Funeral.com’s article If Your Pet Dies at Home: What to Do Next is written for exactly this moment.
How to Keep Your Pet’s Body Cool and Dignified at Home
Cooling is the most important practical step in the early hours. It slows natural changes and gives you time to make a plan without feeling rushed. The ASPCA explains that a well-cooled body can be held for up to 24 hours and recommends placing a wrapped pet in a refrigerator or freezer, with one important exception: if a necropsy (autopsy) is planned to determine cause of death, the body should not be frozen (refrigeration is still okay).
If your pet is too large for refrigeration, the ASPCA recommends placing the body on a cement floor or concrete slab to draw heat away. If neither option is possible, choose the coolest room in the home, keep your pet out of sunlight, and use ice packs around (not directly on) the body while keeping the fur as dry as possible.
This part can feel emotionally hard. If you need help, ask someone you trust to be with you while you wrap your pet in a blanket and prepare a respectful temporary resting place. You’re not being dramatic. You’re being tender.
Should You Take Keepsakes? Paw Prints, Fur, Photos, and the Collar
Some families want keepsakes immediately, and others can’t bear the thought. Both are normal. If you do want a keepsake, it can help to do it sooner rather than later. A simple ink paw print, a small fur clipping, or setting aside a collar tag can become a meaningful part of your memorial later. The Baltimore Humane Society encourages families to take time to say goodbye and create small memorial moments at home before making final aftercare plans.
If you are unsure, you can choose the “lightest” option: take a photo of the paw or nose, set aside the collar, and decide later whether you want a physical imprint. There is no right level of documentation. There is only what your heart can handle.
Aftercare Choices: Burial, Cremation, or a Provider Pickup
Once you’ve had a moment, the next decision is what happens to your pet’s body. Most families choose one of three paths: home burial (where legal and appropriate), burial at a pet cemetery, or cremation through a veterinary clinic or a pet cremation provider.
The ASPCA notes that depending on local laws, it may be legal to bury an animal on your own property, but it is typically illegal to bury on public lands such as parks. If you’re considering home burial, it’s wise to check county or municipal guidance so you don’t create complications later, especially if you plan to move.
If cremation feels right, you’ll likely be asked to choose a cremation type. This is where families often feel overwhelmed by terminology. It helps to anchor on one question: do you want ashes returned?
Pet Cremation Options: Private, Partitioned, and Communal
Pet cremation options are usually presented as private (ashes returned), partitioned/individual (ashes returned with some separation method), or communal (no ashes returned). The Pet Loss Professionals Alliance provides definitions and standards that clarify these terms. Their standards define communal cremation as multiple pets cremated together without separation, with commingled remains not returned to owners, and define private cremation as one pet in the cremation unit during the process.
If you want an everyday explanation of how clinics and providers use these terms, PetMD explains that communal cremation involves multiple pets and ashes are not usually returned, while private cremation is chosen when families want their pet’s ashes back.
For a detailed comparison written for families, Funeral.com’s guide Pet Cremation Options Explained: Communal, Partitioned, and Private Cremation walks through what each option typically means and what questions to ask so you can feel confident in your choice.
What You’ll Receive Back if Ashes Are Returned
If you choose an option where ashes are returned, most families receive them in a sealed inner bag inside a temporary container unless an urn was selected in advance. This “return moment” can be surprisingly emotional. Many families choose to keep the bag sealed and store it safely while they decide what kind of memorial they want. If that’s you, you’re not delaying. You’re protecting your nervous system while you grieve.
When you’re ready, you can choose a memorial container that fits your home and your comfort level. Funeral.com’s pet cremation urns collection is the broad starting point for families who want a primary memorial. If you want something that looks and feels like your pet’s personality, pet figurine cremation urns can be especially comforting. And if you are sharing ashes among family members, pet keepsake cremation urns make it easier to share intentionally rather than in a rushed moment.
How to Choose the Right Pet Urn Size
Once you decide you want pet urns for ashes, the most common question becomes sizing. Most pet urn capacities are listed in cubic inches, and a widely used rule of thumb is about one cubic inch of urn capacity per pound of your pet’s weight before cremation. Funeral.com’s guide Pet Urns for Ashes: A Complete Guide for Dog and Cat Owners walks through sizing, materials, and the kinds of designs families choose most often.
If you’re deciding between a main urn and a keepsake, many families find peace in a layered plan: one main urn for most remains, plus a small keepsake for another household or a symbolic portion. This same “anchor plus sharing” structure is also common in human cremation, where families choose cremation urns for ashes as the primary memorial and use keepsake urns or small cremation urns for sharing.
Memorial Jewelry and Wearable Comfort
Some families don’t want the memorial to live only on a shelf. They want closeness in everyday life—something they can touch on a hard day. This is why cremation jewelry can be meaningful for pet loss, especially in the first months. If you want a dedicated guide to choosing safely, Funeral.com’s Pet Cremation Jewelry Guide explains how wearable memorials work, how much is typically needed, and what to look for in closures and materials.
If you’re ready to browse, you can explore pet cremation jewelry or, for human memorials, Funeral.com also offers cremation jewelry and cremation necklaces. Many families who have experienced both pet loss and human loss find that wearable remembrance becomes a steady form of comfort across both.
Shipping Ashes for Keepsakes and Jewelry
If you plan to mail a small portion of ashes to an artist or jewelry maker, it’s important to follow current shipping rules. In the United States, the USPS is the carrier that accepts cremated remains shipments, and effective March 1, 2025, shippers are required to use USPS Priority Mail Express Cremated Remains packaging kits (BOX-CRE). The NFDA summarizes this requirement and links to the relevant USPS publications.
If you’re shipping, it can help emotionally to keep an “anchor” portion at home first, and only ship what the provider truly needs. Most keepsakes require a small amount, and you should never feel pressured to send more than you’re comfortable parting with.
If Children Are In the Home: What to Say and How to Include Them
Children often grieve more openly than adults, and they may also ask very direct questions. In many cases, the most supportive approach is to use clear, simple language, avoid euphemisms that confuse them, and give them a small role if they want one. That role can be choosing a photo, helping pick a memorial spot, or writing a short note to place beside the urn. What children need most is to feel safe, informed, and allowed to feel sad without being rushed to “be okay.”
When Pet Loss Triggers Bigger Funeral Planning Questions
It’s common for pet loss to open a door into broader funeral planning thoughts—because grief makes us consider what we would want for the people we love (and for ourselves). If that is happening in your household, it can help to know you’re not alone. According to the Cremation Association of North America, the U.S. cremation rate was 61.8% in 2024. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the U.S. cremation rate is projected to be 63.4% in 2025 (with burial projected at 31.6%).
Those trends help explain why so many families now have questions about what to do with ashes, whether keeping ashes at home is appropriate, what cremation urns are right for their plan, and how sharing works through keepsake urns or small cremation urns. Some families also ask about ceremonial options like water burial for a loved one who felt connected to the ocean, which has specific rules depending on location and whether remains are human or animal.
A Gentle Bottom Line
After a pet dies, you don’t need to have a perfect plan. You need a humane sequence: confirm what happened with a veterinary professional if you’re unsure, give yourself a moment to say goodbye, keep your pet cool and dignified while you decide, and choose aftercare based on what will help you heal. If you want ashes returned, ask clearly about private and partitioned services. If you want a memorial that fits daily life, explore pet urns for ashes, shared keepsakes, or cremation jewelry when you’re ready—not when grief is still in shock.
If you want a calmer, step-by-step checklist that mirrors how families actually move through the first day, start with Funeral.com’s If Your Pet Dies at Home: What to Do Next, then explore memorial options through pet cremation urns, pet figurine cremation urns, and pet keepsake cremation urns as your heart allows.
