What do you do if your dog dies?

[hedder2212]

When i were younger the dogs got buried in granddads garden up by the big tree. The dog we have now though will be taken to a pet crematorium, taken up to our favorite spot near snake pass and ashes scattered.

 

[Fubar]

My dog hasn't died, but I found myself waking up this morning wondering what you do in such a situation. I've buried hamsters, buried goldfish and other expired pets, but a dog is a bit bigger. Are you 'allowed' to just bury it in your garden, if you have one? Are 'supposed to' take it to a vet for disposal? Can you compost them? etc etc.
I look forward to some illuminating answers. I think my dog will probably last another 6 yrs or so, so no rush.

Have you asked your dog what his wishes are?? Never a right time to bring these things up mind...

 

[biggs682]

when we were kids our dad worked in the building trade and he use to bury them in the footings of the houses they were building

 

[Lonestar]

Dunno as I haven't got a dog.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Our dogs are too big for a garden burial so we have them individually creamted (costs more but they're family and my humans wouldn't go in a communal cremator) and scatter the ashes at a place where the hound in question had a particular fondness.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

when we were kids our dad worked in the building trade and he use to bury them in the footings of the houses they were building

That's a bit Kray twins innit.

 

[buggi]

You can take it to the vet and they will arrange a cremation and the ashes to be returned to you (which are easier to then bury) Or you can bury them where you like (probably not the neighbours garden tho as they may complain) Why the hell would you compost your dog? I think you are underestimating how much you love your dog if you think you can stick him in a composter.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I cried every day for 13 months when my dog died - I was very attached to him.

Private cremation, and his ashes are at a nice spot where he used to walk in the Lakeland Fells.

 

[Drago]

I was very attached to him.

you were conjoined twins?

 

[Joshua Plumtree]

Look on the bright side, you might die first.

 

[Brandane]

When I was younger we always had dogs in the house. One or two got buried in the garden, the others IIRC got given to new owners as we lived abroad and tended to move around every few years.

What to do when a cat dies? My ex GF's 6 year old daughter had the answer to that one. When their cat died (which had been around long before the daughter was born), ex GF broke the news to her. She thought about it for all of five seconds before her reaction .... "Can we get a dog now?"

 

[User169]

Nice little bit of trivia - Giro the Nazi dog..

http://secret-cities.com/2010/08/29/the-nazi-dog-memorial/

 

[shouldbeinbed]

@Brandane's Ex GF's daughter makes a good point too even if not for the below reasons.

The time to get a new dog / pet can seem callously short after one dies but there is a physical emptiness in the home and on walks or on not going on walks anymore that hits you as hard as the emotional loss of your companion and friend.

The emotional loss rolls on long beyond you filling that physical void with a different (not, never, ever a replacement) hound.

Also as someone committed to taking dogs from rescue rather than breeders, it feels wrong to have an empty bed in a loving home while so many dogs are crying out for that stability and a proper single family relationahip

 

[Globalti]

It'll be a hole in the garden or the field at the back for our cats.

Fact: After a long battle the daughter of the founder of the company that employs me won the right to be buried in Rossendale Pets' Crematorium alongside her dogs.

 

[Milkfloat]

A few months ago I helped a friend who a few months after moving house found a poorly buried dog in the garden. He was doing some simply gardening when he found the dog buried less than an inch below the surface. It was a thoroughly unpleasant task disposing of the considerably smelly remains. If you are going to bury a big animal in your garden, please make sure you dig a big hole - and ideally don't move house within a year or two.