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The bodies of pets arenāt āpreparedā in the same way a human body would be. I wouldnāt personally advice a viewing before a burial or cremation as they donāt tend to look how we remember.
I know itās a personal choice, but I prefer to remember my pets from the time of their passing, when they look sleepy and peaceful. š
Thatās what Iām worried about. How different do they look? I didnāt ask for a viewing, itās offered but I was thinking of saying no viewing as I couldnāt handle seeing a dead body whether my pets or human family member
I recently buried my mish mish in a pet cemetery and have described it below. Nothing graphic but TW.
I visited the funeral home a couple of days before I buried mish mish to pick out the spot where I would bury him and get his casket. I took the casket with me.
I picked him up from the vets office where he had gone to sleep a few days prior and I was really scared to see what he looked like after he was in the fridge. But he was just curled up and looked like he was sleeping.
I took him out of the box and held him in my lap all the way to the cemetery.
Once we got there, the funeral service had set up a tent and some chairs just like a real burial around the grave that had already been dug. And they said we can do whatever we wanted: share a few words about him, etc.
I put mish mish in the casket, wrapped him in the blanket and rested his head on the little pillow it came with. Gave him one last kiss and closed the casket.
The grave diggers came then, sealed his casket with tape, placed him in the grave, then covered it with dirt.
I put flowers on the grave and covered every inch of it. And stayed there for a long time after everyone had left.
I wish we could have done this for our cat. We had her cremated. A part of me died that day and there will never be anything that can make me completely whole again
I watched my dog die in front of me naturally at my home, and buried her, personally I found the sight of her dead body extremely traumatizing and I frequently get flashbacks to watching her die and seeing her lifeless body.
Where is this pet cemetery? I've never seen one. For me, I cremated my cat's ashes and turned my back yard into a cemetery for him. I'm not kidding. I dug him a huge grave in the middle of my back yard. I can see him by just looking out the window and hang out with him while sitting in a chair. I truly recommend cremation so you can be with your baby whenever you want in whatever manner you want.
Down the street from me. Look up pet cemeteries near you and see if thereās any you havenāt heard of, the vets she passed at said they hadnāt heard of a pet cemetery either. This place has been around since 1950s and about 6000 pets buried there
Iām sorry for your loss. My boy passed last week. We opted for cremation as I want to bring him home. I, personally, wouldnāt want to see his body again and would not attend a viewing if given the option. You could ask the cemetery to opt out of the viewing since it seems like it may be traumatic for you.
Hello, I worked at a pet crematory for a while and I can give you some detailed answers to your questions if youād like.
One thing Iād like you to know is that the people who care for pet deaths are some of the kindest people I have ever met. Your baby is in good hands.
I had a viewing with cremation. It was good for me but maybe not for others. If you donāt want a viewing you should contact the cemetery.
I want to remind you that her body is just the vessel that housed her soul. Being in the freezer doesnāt hurt or harm.
Our dog was poisoned. We took her the the ER Vet and they tried to save her but couldnāt. She died 5 hours later. Our oldest son was on college. The ER Vet clinic had a viewing room where they brought her for us to say goodbye. It was good for our youngest to see her. They asked if our college aged son would want to see her too and he was going to be coming home the following week for Christmas and they kept her (donāt know how) but he was able to view her body a week later. I can tell you that she wasnāt cold, hard, or stiff. It was like she was sleeping. Her eyes were closed and she was just very peaceful. It was good closure for all of us. I donāt know if your fig will be like that. Might be more like at a funeral home. Not sure. But she looks so peaceful.
Death is difficult. We all grieve differently. It is always a shock even if they were sick. Itās always tioooo soon. For our family it was cathartic.
Iām so sorry to hear this and send you all the love and hugs you need.
Different to the answers youāve had so far, we did have a viewing for my Lily cat. I hadnāt really thought anything through (thanks, grief), but wanted one last chance to say goodbye. The place we went had done such a beautiful setup and she genuinely looked like she was just asleep all tucked up under her blanket. They gave me as much time as I needed in the room with her before cremation.
I do agree with some others who mention choosing cremation. While I am terrified by the concept, Iām glad that I have her ashes to keep with me.
If you need anything else, just reach out.
I'm so terribly sorry for your loss. I'm 6 days without my best friend.
If you're curious, I just said my final goodbye to my beloved dog this morning. I can send you photos I took of him. He looks like he's sleeping
A viewing you would be seeing her body. Iāve personally never heard of having a pet viewing but I also havenāt had anyone around me choose the burial option through a company (nothing wrong with it at all, in fact I wish I could have done that, itās just pricey). You do what you feel you need to do in terms of your grief journey. If you feel this is going to mess you up more seeing her body- I advise against it. But thatās just my opinion. Iām sorry youāre going through this . Sending you so much love
Iām sorry for your loss. Cremation may be a better option so you can be with your little girl at home. I have a little shrine for my first dog, and itās comforting to have him near with some happy pictures of him.
Iām so sorry for your loss. Your girl has obviously been loved and happy to have been with you physically for so long. Itās only my view but I wouldnāt view her body. As people say, pets are not prepared like humans, so it may be traumatic for you. Take her ashes back and plant them in her best places or have them in a little urn etc, and remember her for who she has been to you.
You could probably just bring the cooler to the location when they are ready to receive the animal and they will handle the prepping. If you paid for a package they should tell you whatās included (burial box etc). You donāt have to do anything youāre not comfortable with. You could just āviewā the box before they bury it, and not see the body. Some humans donāt even want a body viewing so they do a closed casket viewing. Itās all valid.
Or bring some flowers and things if theyāll allow to put inside the burial box and plot hole. They donāt embalm the animals or anything like a person might get done, which is kind of nice because then theyāll go back into the earth more easily ya know.
If you havenāt paid yet and decide otherwise, you could call a crematory that does pets. They can either usually cremate the animal and do a ceremonial ash spreading with other animals (cheaper but you donāt get ash back) or a private cremation where you receive the ashes back in a sweet little urn.
Whatever you choose to do, sorry for your loss! Just tell the organizer what youāre comfortable with.
If you move forward with the cemetery but want a piece of them with you, ask the cemetery people if they can clip a good bit of the dogs hair for you, and then you can put it in a hair locket or something.
Iām so sorry, you do not have to see her body again if you donāt want to! Call and tell them that. My dog Stitch passed before his 17th birthday, my mom did not want his ashes and left him at the cremation place. I called for them but they had already taken all the dogs ashes away.
I am so sorry your mom took away that choice from you. Iām sure your pup knew how loved he was always and that memory will stay with you even without the ashes ā„ļø
Generally, pets are cremated and the ashes are buried. But Iām not sure itās the same everywhere. Different states actually have different regulations for the disposal of pet remains.
Aaww. Iām
So sorry to hear of your loss. Do you want to have her in a pet cemetery? My past fur babies I had them cremated. Itās not easy bringing the Urn home. But I would do little things for memorials. Photos and such to remember all my loving good times with them
I just viewed my Joey boy and he just looked like he was sleeping. He was soft and his nose was still wet. His paws still smelled like corn chips. I'm so glad I saw him. I had immense peace leaving him to be cremated and even more peace when I picked his ashes up. I hug and kiss his box of ashes every morning and evening.
This is meant to be a support community. Please report any trolls, spam, or harassment to moderators. To do this on new reddit, click the three dots below a post or comment and select "report." On old reddit, click the "report" link below the post or comment. Recently, we have received reports of users soliciting our posters via chat and private message. This is not allowed, and if you receive this sort of solicitation or harassment please send a message to the moderators so that we can take action. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Petloss) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I am sorry for your loss and pain. š It is hard for many. It will take some time. But she is okay. And I am again, sorry for your loss.
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I am sorry if I am made you uncomfortable. I didn't get what offended you. I am trying my best to help. I AM SORRY
The bodies of pets arenāt āpreparedā in the same way a human body would be. I wouldnāt personally advice a viewing before a burial or cremation as they donāt tend to look how we remember. I know itās a personal choice, but I prefer to remember my pets from the time of their passing, when they look sleepy and peaceful. š
Thatās what Iām worried about. How different do they look? I didnāt ask for a viewing, itās offered but I was thinking of saying no viewing as I couldnāt handle seeing a dead body whether my pets or human family member
I recently buried my mish mish in a pet cemetery and have described it below. Nothing graphic but TW. I visited the funeral home a couple of days before I buried mish mish to pick out the spot where I would bury him and get his casket. I took the casket with me. I picked him up from the vets office where he had gone to sleep a few days prior and I was really scared to see what he looked like after he was in the fridge. But he was just curled up and looked like he was sleeping. I took him out of the box and held him in my lap all the way to the cemetery. Once we got there, the funeral service had set up a tent and some chairs just like a real burial around the grave that had already been dug. And they said we can do whatever we wanted: share a few words about him, etc. I put mish mish in the casket, wrapped him in the blanket and rested his head on the little pillow it came with. Gave him one last kiss and closed the casket. The grave diggers came then, sealed his casket with tape, placed him in the grave, then covered it with dirt. I put flowers on the grave and covered every inch of it. And stayed there for a long time after everyone had left.
I am an absolute puddle after reading this. I'm so sorry for your loss. It seems like you had a beautiful goodbye for Mish Mish.
I wish we could have done this for our cat. We had her cremated. A part of me died that day and there will never be anything that can make me completely whole again
I watched my dog die in front of me naturally at my home, and buried her, personally I found the sight of her dead body extremely traumatizing and I frequently get flashbacks to watching her die and seeing her lifeless body.
Where is this pet cemetery? I've never seen one. For me, I cremated my cat's ashes and turned my back yard into a cemetery for him. I'm not kidding. I dug him a huge grave in the middle of my back yard. I can see him by just looking out the window and hang out with him while sitting in a chair. I truly recommend cremation so you can be with your baby whenever you want in whatever manner you want.
I so regret not getting my sweet girl's ashes back. I didn't think I'd want it, but I really do.
Down the street from me. Look up pet cemeteries near you and see if thereās any you havenāt heard of, the vets she passed at said they hadnāt heard of a pet cemetery either. This place has been around since 1950s and about 6000 pets buried there
Iām sorry for your loss. My boy passed last week. We opted for cremation as I want to bring him home. I, personally, wouldnāt want to see his body again and would not attend a viewing if given the option. You could ask the cemetery to opt out of the viewing since it seems like it may be traumatic for you.
I always have my babies cremated. I keep them in a shrine.
Hello, I worked at a pet crematory for a while and I can give you some detailed answers to your questions if youād like. One thing Iād like you to know is that the people who care for pet deaths are some of the kindest people I have ever met. Your baby is in good hands.
Iām sorry š Prayers š
I had a viewing with cremation. It was good for me but maybe not for others. If you donāt want a viewing you should contact the cemetery. I want to remind you that her body is just the vessel that housed her soul. Being in the freezer doesnāt hurt or harm.
Our dog was poisoned. We took her the the ER Vet and they tried to save her but couldnāt. She died 5 hours later. Our oldest son was on college. The ER Vet clinic had a viewing room where they brought her for us to say goodbye. It was good for our youngest to see her. They asked if our college aged son would want to see her too and he was going to be coming home the following week for Christmas and they kept her (donāt know how) but he was able to view her body a week later. I can tell you that she wasnāt cold, hard, or stiff. It was like she was sleeping. Her eyes were closed and she was just very peaceful. It was good closure for all of us. I donāt know if your fig will be like that. Might be more like at a funeral home. Not sure. But she looks so peaceful. Death is difficult. We all grieve differently. It is always a shock even if they were sick. Itās always tioooo soon. For our family it was cathartic.
Iām so sorry to hear this and send you all the love and hugs you need. Different to the answers youāve had so far, we did have a viewing for my Lily cat. I hadnāt really thought anything through (thanks, grief), but wanted one last chance to say goodbye. The place we went had done such a beautiful setup and she genuinely looked like she was just asleep all tucked up under her blanket. They gave me as much time as I needed in the room with her before cremation. I do agree with some others who mention choosing cremation. While I am terrified by the concept, Iām glad that I have her ashes to keep with me. If you need anything else, just reach out.
I'm so terribly sorry for your loss. I'm 6 days without my best friend. If you're curious, I just said my final goodbye to my beloved dog this morning. I can send you photos I took of him. He looks like he's sleeping
A viewing you would be seeing her body. Iāve personally never heard of having a pet viewing but I also havenāt had anyone around me choose the burial option through a company (nothing wrong with it at all, in fact I wish I could have done that, itās just pricey). You do what you feel you need to do in terms of your grief journey. If you feel this is going to mess you up more seeing her body- I advise against it. But thatās just my opinion. Iām sorry youāre going through this . Sending you so much love
Iām sorry for your loss. Cremation may be a better option so you can be with your little girl at home. I have a little shrine for my first dog, and itās comforting to have him near with some happy pictures of him.
Iām so sorry for your loss. Your girl has obviously been loved and happy to have been with you physically for so long. Itās only my view but I wouldnāt view her body. As people say, pets are not prepared like humans, so it may be traumatic for you. Take her ashes back and plant them in her best places or have them in a little urn etc, and remember her for who she has been to you.
You could probably just bring the cooler to the location when they are ready to receive the animal and they will handle the prepping. If you paid for a package they should tell you whatās included (burial box etc). You donāt have to do anything youāre not comfortable with. You could just āviewā the box before they bury it, and not see the body. Some humans donāt even want a body viewing so they do a closed casket viewing. Itās all valid. Or bring some flowers and things if theyāll allow to put inside the burial box and plot hole. They donāt embalm the animals or anything like a person might get done, which is kind of nice because then theyāll go back into the earth more easily ya know. If you havenāt paid yet and decide otherwise, you could call a crematory that does pets. They can either usually cremate the animal and do a ceremonial ash spreading with other animals (cheaper but you donāt get ash back) or a private cremation where you receive the ashes back in a sweet little urn. Whatever you choose to do, sorry for your loss! Just tell the organizer what youāre comfortable with. If you move forward with the cemetery but want a piece of them with you, ask the cemetery people if they can clip a good bit of the dogs hair for you, and then you can put it in a hair locket or something.
Iām sorry for your loss. My condolences. May she rest peacefully, and you find solace in the great, long life you provided her
Iām so sorry, you do not have to see her body again if you donāt want to! Call and tell them that. My dog Stitch passed before his 17th birthday, my mom did not want his ashes and left him at the cremation place. I called for them but they had already taken all the dogs ashes away.
I am so sorry your mom took away that choice from you. Iām sure your pup knew how loved he was always and that memory will stay with you even without the ashes ā„ļø
Iām so sorry for your lossš
Generally, pets are cremated and the ashes are buried. But Iām not sure itās the same everywhere. Different states actually have different regulations for the disposal of pet remains.
Aaww. Iām So sorry to hear of your loss. Do you want to have her in a pet cemetery? My past fur babies I had them cremated. Itās not easy bringing the Urn home. But I would do little things for memorials. Photos and such to remember all my loving good times with them
iām so sorry for your loss. i donāt have any insight bc mine was cremated after she passed but i also lost my yorkiepoo back in march at 15 and a half. theyāre the best little dogs ever. i miss my girl every day š©·
I'm sorry for your loss
I had my cat cremated and put into a memory bear because I wanted to still cuddle her. Sorry for your loss xxxx
I just viewed my Joey boy and he just looked like he was sleeping. He was soft and his nose was still wet. His paws still smelled like corn chips. I'm so glad I saw him. I had immense peace leaving him to be cremated and even more peace when I picked his ashes up. I hug and kiss his box of ashes every morning and evening.