What Do Vets Do With Dogs That Have Died?

When a dog dies, a veterinarian will typically offer pet owners a variety of options, regardless of whether the dog died at home or in the vet's office. Vets typically follow the wishes of the owners in making final resting arrangements for their pet. While a variety of options exist, some methods are dependent upon local ordinances and a pet owner̵7;s wishes and finances. Costs for services vary widely from facility to facility.

  1. Burial

    • Many pet owners want to bury their dog on their own property. Unfortunately, in some areas of the country, this act is prohibited by city ordinances because of potential issues related to groundwater contamination. Pet cemeteries offer a viable burial option with special grounds set aside strictly for the burial of pets. Many pet cemeteries are designed to mimic human cemeteries, giving pet owners the option of holding memorial services and grave-side services. Grounds are typically open to owners to visit their dog̵7;s burial site.

    Individual Cremation

    • Single cremation refers to the act of cremating one dog at a time and returning its ashes to the owner for a keepsake, burial or memorial scattering. Many vets offer memorial items such as urns, engraved boxes or decorative vases with the dog̵7;s name and photo. Memorial jewelry, such as pendants and lockets to hold ashes, are also growing in popularity.

    Group Cremation

    • A more economical approach to cremation is a group cremation, in which several dogs are cremated at one time, with the resulting ashes divided among the group of participating pet owners. Much like single cremation, pet owners can often ask for the remains to be returned in a decorative urn.

    Medical Research

    • A dog owner may make advanced arrangements to donate the body of his dog for medical research. In this instance, the medical research facility would arrange for the transportation of the dog̵7;s body to its location. In this way, a dog owner may feel that his pet̵7;s remains will be used to further advance veterinary medicine for future generations.

    Incineration

    • Abandoned dogs, dogs that have been euthanized by animal shelters and dogs whose owners cannot afford cremation services are medically incinerated and the ashes disposed of. Animals may also be sent to a rendering facility in which their remains are rendered and disposed of as medical waste.