Sometimes, death comes unexpectedly. And amidst the grief, the family still has to find out what to do or prepare for a pet cremation. I hope we all have friends to help and guide us along the way if and when that happens. #touchwood
But I’m recording this as a reference for those who need.
On Monday, a dog named Milo passed away. Milo belonged to a friend of ours. So we went and saw him off at the Pet Cremation Service – Tengoku.
Is there some form of etiquette or ritual to observe at a Pet Cremation?
I wasn’t sure of the etiquette or ritual that was appropriate in this situation, if there was one at all. Cookie’s mom was amazing as always, she coordinated with us to buy 3 big bunches of flowers and 3 packets of treats. Our last gift to Milo.
Just seeing Milo’s body lying lifeless on the table brought about a strong welling up of emotions. But I focused on arranging the flowers around him and that helped me to gain some measure of calm.
Goodbye Milo. Rest in peace.
The pup was laid out on a pee pad. We arranged the flowers to surround him. The flowers also helped to cover the stains on the pad caused by discharge from the mouth. The staff advised that the discharge is a normal occurrence and expected.
The treats should be taken out of the plastic packaging if Milo was to take the treats with him. It didn’t occur to me when we bought the treats, but the staff pointed out to us that the treats should not contain bones, which can be mixed with Milo’s bones if cremated together. So we removed the dehydrated whole fish that we brought. The remaining dehydrated beef and fish rolls, we scattered among the flowers around Milo, as the staff suggested.
The staff opened the sliding doors leading to the cremation chamber next door, ready to push the cart Milo was resting on inside.
The last goodbyes were said. The family petted Milo for the last time.
Run free, Milo.
Rest in peace.
What happens after the pet is cremated?
Milo was cremated at Tengoku Pet Cremation, which is located at 11 Pasir Ris Farmway 2 in Singapore. Milo’s ashes could be collected 1.5 hours later, the same night. A complimentary urn is provided as part of the package. Tengoku Pet Cremation had urns of different sizes to cater to dogs of different weight range and even smaller pets like hamsters and guinea pigs.
Milo’s family was debating whether they needed an urn since they intend to bury him. But for those living in a flat with a balcony, like us, perhaps this living urn can also be a nice way of remembering a beloved furkid.
Just putting all this down for reference. Milo’s death was sudden and for all of us, it was a first. We really weren’t sure what to do or prepare. Many thanks to Cookie’s mom who took the time to ask around and prepare the items we brought together.
My condolences to Milo’s family.
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Related: Losing a furry companion cannot easy. Here’s some ways to cope with losing a pet.
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Kismet
When our beloved Kyla passed, we were given a choice. She could be cremated with a lot of other pets or (for extra money) be cremated alone and we’d receive the ashes. We asked how much extra. We had Kyla given the mass creation and we took the amount that would have been extra and donated it to a shelter to help the living. It wouldn’t have helped Kyla and she would have wanted it that way. Kyla is still with us because we have some fur we cut from her before she passed.
weliveinaflat
My first choice would have been a private cremation. I have to admit the thought of a mass cremation does not sit comfortable with me somehow. But your perspective gave me something to think about. It’s true the living needs the money more than someone who has passed over. Thanks for letting me know. I don’t recall reading that on your blog. Lousy memory!!