What do you do with your pet's body when they die?

United States
February 23, 2008 3:47pm CST
I know this is morbid, while I was going through my unresolved discussions I saw the discussion about my friend who put her chocolate lab down. That was two months ago, my friend got a new puppie right away to take the place of the dog that died. The puppy is cute but a puppy and she has 5 other dogs. She had her dog cremated and wanted the ashes. She then paid the gardner extra to bury the ashes in the yard. She had to buy the right urn for the ashes. The problem was the gardner took the ashes out of the urn and burried them in their cloth bag. My friend was very upset and was trying to decided what she should do with the ashes while she was washing the cloth bag out. I suggested she just dumped the ashes in the urn and forget about the bag. She was so afraid that the worms had gotten to the ashes already. Now my thinking was "Ashes to ashes dust to dust" my bleifs are that once a person or animal dies the soul is gone and the body is just a shell. I would not have paid to have the dog cremated or brought the ashes home if it was my dog. Her thinking was "I took care of him in life I have to take care of him in death." What is your thinking on the subject? I do not care what happens to my body once I am dead but that is my beliefs. Should we all be burried in the ground in a seald casket? Should be all be cremated?
4 people like this
7 responses
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
24 Feb 08
Sister's family Beagle was hit by a car on New Years day. Some of my sister's six kids and their friends picked the dog up and took it to a Jewish neighbors house down the street. Apparently this lady just loves dogs. She had their Beagle cremated and the ashes sent to my youngest niece who is the youngest and her favorite out of the bunch. She was also the one who took it the hardest when the dog was killed. All total this cost the neighbor $250.00. I thought that this was very generous and sweet of her, especially, considering that my sister's other dog had got out a while ago and attacked her and hurt her dog while she was walking him. My sister and her family was so afriad that she was going to sue. Instead, the lady came over, completely distraught the next day because she thought that they were going to get rid of the dogs because of what they had done. She was pleading with my sister and her husband not to get rid of the dogs. I have never in my life heard of someone loving dogs that belonged to someone else, quite that much. I have not had the chance to meet her, but according to my sister, she has my youngest niece over all the time. I figure she must be quite an amazing person.
• United States
24 Feb 08
Rozie it sounds like the neighbor is a gift from God. I am sure they will surly miss her when they move.
1 person likes this
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
24 Feb 08
You know, they were suppose to move this coming Monday. I do not believe they will be going.
1 person likes this
• United States
24 Feb 08
It's to bad that it seems to be so complacated for her and her family. I know that you did not want her to go. I wonder if this is a sign from God not to go.
1 person likes this
@Loen210 (1540)
• United States
24 Feb 08
We have cremated our dear pets, after they've passed away, over the years. For two (one dog, one cat), we cremated them and buried them in the front or backyard, with a tree bought in their honor and planted. Our first tree, a Weeping Cherry Tree, did not survive, but I think it was that we didn't know how to care for it properly. Over the last several years, our cat who passed away, we cremated, and have not buried them, but kept them (for now) in a box.
1 person likes this
• United States
24 Feb 08
What do you feel when you see the box with the cat's ashes in them? I would hurt all over again looking at the urn with my beloved animal in it.
@vicki2876 (5636)
• Canada
25 Feb 08
I would cremate my pet. My Oma did that too. I think it would be best for us here too. I want to be cremated myself so I like that idea if I had to think about that at all for my pets, which I really don't want to do. LOL
1 person likes this
• United States
27 Feb 08
I want to be cremated but I do not care what happens to my pets body. I guess I am not that semential.
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
24 Feb 08
I've always buried the bodies. I figure they've crossed over to the other side and they're waiting for me there. They don't need their shell anymore but I'm going to treat it with respect and bury it so that it can nourish the growing things as nature intended. I've left instructions that when I die they're to harvest every single thing they can to benefit others then cremate the rest or donate the body to science or as a practice cadaver for med students No way should an empty shell cause so much financial expense! Caskets and embalming are like spending money to dispose of a plastic milk jug instead of just putting it in the recycle bin.
1 person likes this
• United States
24 Feb 08
Great anology dragon I think you are right with burring the a body. Did you know that if a body does not have to be embalmed if you burry it or have it cremated?
24 Feb 08
Well in my family we have always buried all our pets from our goldfish to cats and dogs. I think there is nothing wrong with burying your pets in your garden, all the other things you can do are just a way to exploit your grief and cost you a packet. As for when I die I want to be cremated, this is just a personal choice and I know that I wont know what happens to my body but the thought of being in the ground freaks me out.
1 person likes this
• United States
24 Feb 08
Welcome to mylot Sallybean I see this is the first discussion you responded to. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. I agree with you I think I would like to be cremated.
24 Feb 08
Depends on how long youve had the pet. If its a gerbil that you had for two weeks, theres no reason to feel guilty about using a bin bag.
1 person likes this
• United States
24 Feb 08
You are right with a gerbal I would not have them at all. I tend to get attached to a pet the minute I get it.
• India
24 Feb 08
never thought about this....will surely come back to with an response
1 person likes this