What To Do At End Of Life For Large Pets

Pookie

Pookie

Crazy Cat Lady
Location
Western NC
On Tuesday, May 8th, I lost my best friend. She was Lilly, a big Boxer/German Shepherd mix. She passed in my arms at 5:09am.

She was quite big and my hubby and I could not handle her well to bury her. I had to leave her to Google "pet cremations" and the first thing that came up was our local funeral home that did pet cremations.

I called, and a nice guy answered. No phone trees, no crap. He was very nice, and sent a van out to pick up Lilly.

The van arrived about an hour later, and all the cats were able to say their good-byes. My precious Pook curled up next to Lilly and didn't leave her side until the van came.

The funeral home people were wonderful, and explained to us all about cremation. Lilly was returned to us on Friday, in a beautiful urn, with her noseprint and pawprint on heavy papers and a brochure of a place where you can have her pawprints and noseprints on jewelry, and a sweet sympathy card.

I didn't know this was available. For any of you who have large dogs (Lilly was 85 pounds) and have trouble if they pass at home, call your local funeral home. It wasn't expensive. It was $185 for the whole cremation and all, but since Lilly passed before regular hours, it was an additional charge of $100.00. I didn't want her to lie there until 8am; I am sure all of you understand.

There was no charge for the van during regular hours, 8am - 6pm. I hope you all understand why I did this.

Lilly is now in a very nice sealed urn with her collar wrapped around it, on my nightstand surrounded by her toys.

Please if you have a large dog and cannot be able to deal with him/her at the end of life, call your local funeral home. I know it sounds nuts, but they do take care of pets, even if the pets are small.

When a pet passes at home, there is help, through a funeral home and they are simply awesome.

Anyway, just passing along maybe help if it ever happens to you.
 

I'm so sorry for your loss and can understand why you did what you did. I didn't know about funeral homes doing animals as well. All my dogs and cats have crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. Hopefully we will be reunited at some point.
 
I’m so sorry for your loss Pookie. Losing any pet is very difficult no matter what the size and its perfectly ok to have your loved one cremated. All our pets have been cremated but only one large dog died at home. My neighbour was kind enough to take her away because I was alone at the time. Our smaller one died in my arms and it’s heart wrenching.
Our other large dog was old so we had her put to sleep at the animal hospital. Very difficult thing to do also but all the people involved were exceptionally good. We not only have urns but a casting of their paw print to forever remember by.

Thanks for sharing this with us even though it hurt.

A poem for you. 508EDF74-D125-4722-BABC-DB1E475448AF.jpeg
 
So sorry for the loss of your sweet Lilly. I understand how hard it is, and how sad you must be today. Her paw prints will forever be on your heart.

Thanks for the info on the funeral home; I had no idea that they would do that. We had a little Yorkie cremated by a service from our vet, so I didn't realize that regular funeral homes might also handle larger animals.
 
Glad I could share, they gave us her pawprint and noseprint, along with a beautiful urn, and a sympathy card and other things. They washed her blanket, too, and returned it with her.

Gosh I miss her. But she lives on, by letting me tell y'all about funeral services.

Thank you, Lilly. You're my girl!
 
Sorry for your loss, at least you have her nose print and paw print to remind you of the good times.

I have never had a large pet, but whenever one of my cats has passed I put them in a sealed box and bury them myself. I take them to some woodland that is near my parent's old home, there are so many pets there now it's like a pet cemetery!
 
So sorry for your loss. I've lost quite a few and the pain of loss is very real.

I was inconsolable after my dogs died and the tears shed were aplenty.. We buried each one under a favorite tree on our property One dog died a natural death of old age. The other two were attended to by a vet who was extraordinarly capable and humane and made house calls. Sad events, nonetheless.
 
Pookie said:
On Tuesday, May 8th, I lost my best friend. She was Lilly, a big Boxer/German Shepherd mix. She passed in my arms at 5:09am.

She was quite big and my hubby and I could not handle her well to bury her. I had to leave her to Google "pet cremations" and the first thing that came up was our local funeral home that did pet cremations.

I called, and a nice guy answered. No phone trees, no crap. He was very nice, and sent a van out to pick up Lilly.

The van arrived about an hour later, and all the cats were able to say their good-byes. My precious Pook curled up next to Lilly and didn't leave her side until the van came.

The funeral home people were wonderful, and explained to us all about cremation. Lilly was returned to us on Friday, in a beautiful urn, with her noseprint and pawprint on heavy papers and a brochure of a place where you can have her pawprints and noseprints on jewelry, and a sweet sympathy card.

I didn't know this was available. For any of you who have large dogs (Lilly was 85 pounds) and have trouble if they pass at home, call your local funeral home. It wasn't expensive. It was $185 for the whole cremation and all, but since Lilly passed before regular hours, it was an additional charge of $100.00. I didn't want her to lie there until 8am; I am sure all of you understand.

There was no charge for the van during regular hours, 8am - 6pm. I hope you all understand why I did this.

Lilly is now in a very nice sealed urn with her collar wrapped around it, on my nightstand surrounded by her toys.

Please if you have a large dog and cannot be able to deal with him/her at the end of life, call your local funeral home. I know it sounds nuts, but they do take care of pets, even if the pets are small.

When a pet passes at home, there is help, through a funeral home and they are simply awesome.

Anyway, just passing along maybe help if it ever happens to you.
Click to expand...
What a wonderful and caring solution! Thanks.
 
I was not able to see your photo of Lilly. It's good that you found an option that worked well for you. I never would have thought a funeral home did pet cremations! I offer my sincere condolences to you and your family (your fur babies included).

Sympathy Pet.jpg
 
Pookie: It is hard saying good bye to a loved pet. My condolences.

When Sierra (border collie) died, she was cremated and her ashes are in an urn in the bedroom. My wish is for her and my ashes to be released into the ocean. If I outlive Flash (current border collie), his ashes will be released into the ocean at the same time.
 
Alligatorob said:
Sorry to hear about your dog, and that does sound like a good solution. I've had several cremated through the vet, never knew that a funeral home might do it as well.
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We had our last lab cremated through the vet too. His urn has traveled to Australia and back, a few times. It sits on the bedroom table with his favourite rawhide shoe .. his collar is wound up inside it. There is also a
precious close-up photo of him with those things.
 
The Rainbows Bridge Poem

RainbowBridge.com
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
 
And God asked the canine spirit
Are you ready to come home?
I believe so, replied the precious soul
My toys and bones can remain
As a reminder of love and dedication
Can you come then? asked God
Soon, replied the tail-wagging angel
But I must come slowly
For my human companions are troubled
For you see, I am their best friend
But don’t they understand? asked God
That you’ll never leave them?
That your souls are intertwined. For all eternity?
That nothing is created or destroyed?
It just is…forever and ever and ever
Eventually they will understand,
Replied the glorious dog
For I will whisper gently into their hearts
That I am always with them
I just am…forever and ever and ever
 
Neighbor just lost her horse "Bo"...just dropped dead. She has a service that comes and takes horses for cremation. If you have land, they will dig a grave and bury them.
 
My last dog was 15 when she died , and I clung onto her ashes for 12 years so she could be spread with mine . But when it came to spreading my Husbands ashes 2 year ago , I felt I couldnt leave him on the moors alone so we spread our dog along with his .. , It was a place we use to walk with our dog for many years .
 
as I have also lost very dear pets over the years I have learned that they no longer care and it is only a human emotion that we have that makes us feel such heartbreak. the same with why some people get emotional seeing a person die in a movie.
 
deaver said:
as I have also lost very dear pets over the years I have learned that they no longer care and it is only a human emotion that we have that makes us feel such heartbreak. the same with why some people get emotional seeing a person die in a movie.
Click to expand...
They care. The spirit of our cat Lilou stayed at our house for some weeks and then she visited us from time to time.
 
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