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What to Do After Your Pet Dies Checklist

Losing a pet can be deeply emotional and overwhelming. This checklist guides you through practical steps and memorial options, helping you navigate the immediate aftermath with care and compassion.

  • Take Time to Grieve: Allow yourself to pause and process your feelings.
  • Contact a Veterinarian: If your pet passes at home, contact your vet for guidance on next steps.
  • Arrange for Aftercare: Decide on aftercare options, such as cremation or burial, based on your preferences and local laws.
  • Consider Transportation: If needed, arrange transport to the vet or a pet aftercare facility.
  • Document Any Expenses: Keep records of costs for cremation, burial, or other services.

  • Cremation or Burial: Decide if you’d like your pet to be cremated or buried, and choose a service provider accordingly.
  • Private or Communal Cremation: If opting for cremation, decide between private (to receive your pet’s ashes) or communal cremation.
  • Pet Cemetery: Research nearby pet cemeteries if you’re considering a formal burial.
  • Home Burial: Check local laws regarding backyard burials if you prefer to bury your pet at home.
  • Memorial Keepsakes: Consider keepsakes, like a paw print, fur clipping, or ashes in a memorial urn.

  • Family and Friends: Inform those close to you who may want to offer support or share memories.
  • Pet Insurance Provider: If you had insurance for your pet, notify the provider to update your policy.
  • Microchip Registry: Contact the microchip company to update their records.
  • Pet Licensing Authority: Notify the relevant city or county office to cancel pet licenses.
  • Veterinary and Service Providers: Let your vet, groomer, and other service providers know of your pet’s passing.

  • Take Your Time: Allow yourself to decide when you feel ready to handle your pet’s belongings.
  • Donate Supplies: Consider donating unused food, toys, or bedding to a shelter or rescue organization.
  • Create a Memory Box: Keep items like collars, toys, or favorite blankets in a memory box if you’d like to hold onto them.
  • Memorialize Belongings: Use tags or photos to create a small tribute space at home if desired.

  • Pet Loss Support Groups: Look for local or online pet loss support groups for community and comfort.
  • Counseling Services: Consider professional counseling if the grief feels overwhelming.
  • Journaling: Write down memories and feelings as a way to process your loss.
  • Remember Rituals: Light a candle, share memories, or plant a tree to honor your pet’s life.
  • Special Dates: Consider ways to honor your pet’s memory on significant dates, like adoption anniversaries.

  • Memorial Service: Hold a small ceremony to say goodbye with family and friends.
  • Online Tribute: Create a digital memorial or social media post to celebrate your pet’s life.
  • Personalized Keepsakes: Consider memorial jewelry, custom artwork, or engraved stones in your pet’s memory.
  • Donation in Their Name: Donate to an animal shelter or rescue group in honor of your pet.
  • Create a Scrapbook: Compile photos, stories, and mementos to celebrate their life and the memories you shared.

  • Take Your Time: Grieve fully before considering another pet, and only adopt when you feel ready.
  • Explore Volunteering: Consider volunteering with animals as a way to honor your pet’s memory.
  • Foster Opportunities: If you’re not ready for a new pet, fostering can be a meaningful way to help animals in need.
  • Adoption Decision: If and when you’re ready, consider carefully whether you want to welcome another pet into your life.

This Checklist Is Summarized In The Pet Care & Legacy Worksheet

Document your pet’s habits, veterinarian information, diet, and routines, and more, making transitions easier for future caregivers.

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