New Yorkers have plenty of pet care options for their animals’ well-being, from grooming options and off-leash dog parks to off-leash dog cemetery services. But when your beloved animal passes, what should happen then?
Greevy decided on an in-home euthanasia and cremation service. A veterinarian came directly to her home, administered anesthesia, euthanized Ripley, and transported her for cremation, which cost her approximately $1,000.
1. Private Cremation/Aquamation
Aquamation (or “water cremation”) is an environmentally friendly alternative to flame-based pet cremation. This process uses water flow, temperature, and alkalinity to expedite the natural breakdown when animals are buried in soil; no toxic air emissions are produced during this process, and it only requires a fraction of the energy needed by traditional cremation processes.
Eco-friendly cremation methods offer the most negligible ecological impact, leaving behind no trace on our planet. Furthermore, this fast and cost-efficient option means you will have your pet’s remains much sooner than if buried or cremated using flame-based methods.
Veterinarians usually offer traditional burial and aquamation options for pet owners to select, yet many have noticed an increasing preference among their clientele for aquamation over burial. Aquamation eliminates embalming toxins, steel, and concrete used in traditional plot burial while offering respectful care to your beloved companion.
Water cremation offers another advantage over traditional burial or flame cremation: its lower costs make it more accessible for people who want to bury their pets but cannot afford cemetery burial or headstone entombment.
If you choose private pet aquamation, we will return the remains of your beloved companion in an elegant wooden urn approximately one to three weeks later. Or we can have them shipped directly to their primary care veterinarian or home address – whatever works best for you!
New York City offers numerous individual pet cremation services at different prices; some can be pretty cost-effective, while others may be more costly. Nicole Greevy chose Ripley’s at-home euthanization and aquamation method last year to give him the highest-quality sendoff possible.
By opting for communal cremation, you can pay less for your pet’s cremation by splitting costs among several families. Many pet lovers find this an empathetic and thoughtful way of remembering a beloved friend; additionally, this greener option reduces the number of urns needed to hold all their ashes in one pot.
2. Cremation Urns
Cremation urns are designed to house the remains of loved ones who have passed on, such as wooden models, ceramic designs, and glass urns with engraved pet names. When selecting a pot for scattering purposes, it’s also essential to consider New York laws regarding ashes.
New York boasts 47 crematories that offer individual pet cremations. While individual cremation has many advantages over communal, it is more costly due to crematory charges for storage space of your urn and funeral homes that do not own their crematory, passing along costs as third-party fees.
Quality urns will last generations and be an elegant keepsake to pass down through your family. Crafted from sturdy materials such as metal or stone, such urns may be buried at cemeteries or memorial gardens or displayed proudly at home.
Your direct cremation service provider may include an urn in their package price, or you can bring one yourself. If burying, check with your cemetery to ensure they require a specific type of casket for burial.
If you scatter the ashes yourself, adhere to federal aviation regulations and not drop anything that may harm people or property. Water scattering requires additional caution since simply throwing the ashes in will result in their accumulation on either shore.
Nicole Greevy of New York decided on at-home euthanasia for Ripley, the Pit Bull, before cremation at a Brooklyn crematory. Nicole found this experience both moving and heartfelt, feeling it was the ideal way to say farewell.
3. Cremation Jewelry
Cremation jewelry is an artistic way to remember those you’ve lost, reminding you of their love and memory forever. Various types of cremation jewelry are available – urn pendants, bracelets, rings, and keychains can all help bring those you cherish close.
Each piece of jewelry offers a secure compartment in which you can keep a small portion of your loved one’s cremains. Furthermore, engraving a name, date, design, or phrase on it makes the jewelry personal – many pieces feature heart-shaped lockets, but you may find others.
Cremation necklaces and bracelets feature secure openings designed to accommodate cremated remains, but some models can hold other mementos with sentimental value. You could add photos, soil from unique places, locks of hair, or whatever else carries significant meaning for you.
Glass cremation pendants are an increasingly popular choice that enables you to incorporate some of your loved one’s ashes into a beautiful piece of jewelry. Artisan glassblowers have used this technique for years in creating exquisite statues and paperweights; now, you can do the same and create something truly personal and bespoke.
Cremation jewelry rings can be personalized to include the ashes or hair of your loved one and meaningful messages, making this form of memorial wear very personal. Only those closest to you may wear such rings.
Though some may view cremation jewelry with mixed feelings, others find it an elegant way to remember loved ones who have passed. Whatever your view on it may be, cremation jewelry has quickly become popular for those wanting a constant reminder of those they cherish in their life.
Green-Wood cremation jewelry offers a beautiful way to remember those you have lost, including pets who have passed on. Our knowledgeable staff can discuss our many pieces with you and assist in selecting something special to remember them by.
4. Shipping
Cremation can be a graceful way for your pet to pass. Many owners opt to have their pets cremated and either keep the ashes as mementos or disperse them as desired. If this is your intention, consider all shipping options for their ashes before proceeding.
Some pet crematoriums provide free shipping of cremated pet ashes to their clients who live further away, which is an ideal solution for people living far from the crematorium service and saves you both time and money in terms of avoidable travel to pick them up yourself.
Some pet cremation services also offer discounts on urns and memorial items and free shipping, so check with your funeral home or veterinarian office for any exclusive offers that might only apply to specific services. It would be best to inquire about financing options; some pet crematoriums accept credit card payments and health care financing plans.
Pet cremation costs can vary significantly, depending on your chosen method and location. For instance, cremating a small cat usually costs less than a giant canine because they take up more room in the cremation chamber and need longer.
Some animal cremation providers provide multiple cremation methods, including private, communal, and individual. While communal cremation may be less costly than its alternatives, its shared nature means your pet’s ashes will become mixed in with those from other animals – which could prove problematic if you intend to keep some or all of their remains yourself. Individual or partitioned cremation is typically more costly but ensures your ashes won’t mix.
Water-based “cremation,” using low temperatures, natural alkali salts, and gentle water flow to accelerate the natural decomposition process that takes place when your pet is buried, is also an option that is increasingly popular and releases no greenhouse gases or produces fine white sterile ash suitable for keeping as a souvenir or spreading as a memorial.
