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6 min read

The Real Reasons Pet Cremations Are On the Rise

Planning ahead for the death of your pet can safeguard you and your loved ones from additional stress at an already overwhelming future time. As a practice which is on the rise, pet cremations offer benefits which are accessible to all Australian pet-owners. Saving you money, granting you peace of mind and offering a more flexible and eco-friendly send off for your additional member of the family. We break down how prepayment can lock in these benefits and why a prepaid pet cremation might be the best option for you.

Pet cremations

Today we’re covering your questions on:

  • What a prepaid pet cremation is

  • 5 key benefits of prepaid pet cremations

  • How to plan a pet cremation

  • Costs of a pet cremation

Lets dive straight in.

What is a prepaid pet cremation?

Pets often become cherished members of the family- generating immense distress and disruption when they pass away. Much like it's important to grieve and honour the death of any other loved one, pet cremations can offer closure and the chance to celebrate their life, and the impact they had on your family.

Pet cremations follow a similar process to a human cremation; whereby the ashes will be returned back to you in an urn. Pre-paid pet cremations allow you to plan this process in advance at a fixed cost and in line with your wishes. Whether you're looking to alleviate future stress or ensure your pet is properly celebrated if they die after you- prepaid pet cremations can grant immense peace of mind, amongst other benefits.

Whilst it might not be something we want to confront, planning for a pet cremation in advance could in fact be beneficial to you. Let's find out why.

What are the benefits of pre-paid pet cremation?

There are many benefits to this practice which might make you reconsider your reluctance. These include:

  1. Reduce future planning stress

  2. Peace of mind

  3. Lower costs

  4. More Eco -friendly

  5. Greater flexibility

Benefit 1: Reduce planning & admin stress at a time you need it the least

In making arrangements in advance, you can designate clear-headed time to think through how best to celebrate your pet’s life. Minimising the stress and emotional burden of having to make these decisions whilst grieving from their loss.

This can also minimise the upset of having to deal with the dead body of a pet. Through organising a pet cremation, you're getting professionals involved to take care of the process in the most dignified and respectful way. This allows you the time to grieve, support your family and celebrate the life you all shared with your pet. You can then choose to keep, scatter or even make jewellery out of the ashes of your pet if that brings you comfort.

Benefit 2: Peace of mind for your wishes, after you're gone

If your pet outlives you, it can be stressful to think about who will take care of them. What's more, it can be unrealistic to assume anyone else would think to organise a pet cremation for someone else's animal. Pre-arranging your pet's cremation whilst you're alive can grant you peace of mind that your pet will be celebrated and honoured as you would like. This can grant you immense peace of mind, and minimise the uncertainty faced by families left without a plan.

Benefit 3: Save money

If you're already sold on the idea of a pet cremation, pre-paying can be an added cost effective benefit. Paying in advance locks in lower costs at the time of purchase, and prevents you from inflation and rising costs as the demand for pet cremation continues to rise. It’s not something we want to spending our money on, but in saving where you can you can spend more money on celebrating your pet’s life in other ways, as well as potentially covering costly vet bills from the end of their life.

Benefit 4: Greater flexibility & choice

Additionally, prepaid pet cremation services also provide greater flexibility than traditional cremation services. You can research the wide range of different cremation options, from private or communal cremation, to offers of "green" cremation alternatives. Don’t be blindsided at your vulnerable time of grief, and instead make informed choices which will sit right with you for the future.


Benefit 5: You can be more eco-friendly

Pet cremations are also better for the environment. In contrast, traditional backyard burial poses a risk of exposure to diseases and harmful organisms. When your pet passes due to a disease, like the highly contagious Parvovirus, and you opt to bury them on your property, the organisms can sit in the soil for up to nine years. This can generate significant health risks for those who come in contact with the ground.

The pet’s remains can also be a haven for bugs and animals looking for shelter underground, especially during winter. Furthermore, veterinarians use a concentrated anaesthetic agent called Pentobarbital when pets are put to sleep. This drug stays on the pet’s body for up to a year and can poison other animals scavenging on the remains.

Meaning as an animal lover, pet cremations come without the risk of causing harm to other wildlife and instead create a send-off more aligned with your beliefs and values.

How to plan a pet cremation?

Planning a pet cremation can be a difficult and emotional process, but it's important to take the time to consider all of your options and make informed decisions. One important factor to consider is whether you want a private or communal cremation for your pet. We cover what each of these mean below:

  • Private cremations: where your pet is cremated individually, and their ashes are returned to you

  • Communal cremations: where multiple pets are cremated at the same time and the remains are not returned to you

It's also important to do your research into a reputable and compassionate pet cremation service. Ask around your pet friends, as well as ask them directly about their policies and procedures to ensure that your pet is treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.

Finally, consider whether you want to keep your pet's ashes in an urn, bury them, or scatter them in a special location. There’s many options, but in planning ahead what brings you most comfort you can take comfort in giving your beloved companion the send-off they deserve.

How much does a pet cremation cost?

The cost of a pet cremation depends on the pet’s size, the location and the type of cremation services. There’s a variety of options covering different timescales, individual or collective cremation, and options for returning the ashes.

Pet cremation services in Australia can therefore range from $100 basic to $800+ for premium services. Anything between $100 to $200 would typically cover a communal pet cremation (where the ashes are not returned to the owner). In contrast, private cremations with special urns can spike prices higher.

To Wrap Up:

Pet cremation provides you with peace of mind and greater flexibility to give your pet the final goodbye in the way that you see fit. Prepaid and pre-planned pet cremations lock in these benefits, with the added safeguarding of financial security against rising pet cremation costs.

To protect your beloved pet further, get in touch with Safewill today

Writing a will represents an important way to make provisions and plans for your pet. Outlining guardians, potential care costs and cremation plans to grant you peace of mind in the event your pet outlives you. You can lock in these protections by writing your will online, at a lower cost and with greater ease than ever before.

Get in touch today for a one-to-one discussion with one of our will-writing experts on 1800 103 310 , or live chat now.

Last updated 12th January 2023
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Hannah Comiskey
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