If a dog dies, what should the owner do?

How to cope with the death of your beloved dog

For loving owners, a pet becomes a member of the family. Therefore, the emotions of the death of a dog are compared with the feelings of losing a loved one. In this, psychologists see the following explanation: not only a favorite leaves, but also a source of joy, selfless love, a friend and comrade who gives security and comfort.

How to survive the death of a beloved dog - recommendations from psychologists:

Do not engage in self-flagellation and do not look for the culprit. This is especially true in cases where a pet has died due to illness or an accident. In such situations, it is better to consolidate the idea that everyone makes mistakes, regardless of experience and other qualities. A good option is to accept that your pet, surrounded by care and love, lived a happy life.
Wait until the pain of loss passes. Many owners almost immediately begin to look for a replacement for their deceased pet, but this is a mistake. An animal that ends up in a family will not receive the love, attention and care it deserves due to comparison with the previous pet. It is also recommended to limit communication with familiar dog owners to avoid questions.
Find a hobby to fill the void. The dog's feeding regimen and daily walks lead to the development of a certain rhythm of life for the owner. Every change, including the loss of a pet, is a source of stress, so you need to do something to occupy yourself in the free time. For example, you can take up learning a new language, playing sports, or renovating your apartment. The main thing is to find something you like that distracts you from sadness.
Don't think about the bad. Psychologists advise remembering only positive, good moments associated with the dog. It is better to simply forget thoughts about illness or old age, accompanied by sad emotions. An album with photos of a happy pet can help. This will remind you of days that bring a smile, not tears.

Body recycling and taxidermy

Many people consider this method not human, but it is impossible to ignore it, since it is really gaining popularity. To be more precise, in recent years you can use the body of your deceased dog:

making stuffed animals;
making accessories such as key chains, bags or belts.

Of course, many will say that this is real barbarism, but recent trends suggest the opposite. Many argue that the negative reaction to such actions is the result of the imposition of religion. Even without an ardent belief in God, you understand that the dead need to be buried and nothing else. Making key chains, bags or belts from a dog’s body is of course overkill, but such people still exist. Therefore, we decided to introduce you to this option for processing dog bodies.

What you need to prepare

After the death of a pet, the owner is required to push aside emotions and deal with important issues. The first thing is what needs to be prepared for burial.

There are two ways:

the dog died due to an accident or from old age - there is no need to call a doctor and declare death;
the pet died due to an infectious disease - calling a veterinarian to your home is mandatory.

Death from disease should not come as a surprise. The owner is usually aware, since the animal was treated at a veterinary clinic. However, before the doctors arrive, you should still prepare the animal’s passport, certificates and other documents. Veterinarians will definitely process the place of death and the dog’s body, then decide on the method of burial.

Even before sending the animal's body for burial or cremation, you should throw out all items associated with the pet from the house. These are beds, toys, bowls and drinking bowls, rags. This will get rid of unpleasant memories and possible foci of infectious agents.

Virtual cemetery

Web cemeteries have become increasingly popular lately. All this is again related to the framework of the law. Dogs have to be buried quite far away, so in moments of particular sadness it may be impossible to visit the burial site. This is why virtual cemeteries are gaining popularity.

Such resources require a daily payment for their place. Funds usually go towards building real animal cemeteries or helping those pets who need it. Usually all this is spelled out on the website.

Virtual cemeteries will preserve memories of your pet and also help you find support. These sites are visited by people who have recently lost their pets. People who have experienced the same pain can support themselves well.

Transporting the body in a car

To properly transport a corpse to a place for burial or cremation, you need to know how to transport a body in a car. In many large cities, this issue is dealt with by veterinary workers or private veterinary clinics. Employees arrive, pick up the dog’s body and take it for an autopsy, followed by burial or cremation .

However, the services of veterinarians are not always necessary. Often, owners decide for themselves where to bury their pet. Usually places outside the city are chosen. Transportation is carried out in the trunk of a car. It is advisable to wrap the deceased dog in a clean cloth, place it in an airtight bag and box.

Assess the situation

Are you sure your dog has died? If you have any doubts, it is best to seek help from your nearest open veterinarian.

Try to feel your dog's heartbeat to see if he has a pulse or is in cardiac arrest.

You can try CPR or other first aid if you think your dog is still alive.

If you are sure that your dog has passed away, the simplest scenario is to take the dog's body to a veterinarian for help.

Dog cremation

In urban conditions, cremation of a dog is the only method permitted by law. The need for disposal is explained by the fact that when corpses rot, they produce toxic substances that pollute the soil and water. For burial in a cemetery, pre-burning is also performed.

Two types of cremation:

individual - disposal of an individual corpse for an additional fee (rarely performed);
general - cremation of several animal bodies at once (running a disposal machine for each corpse is unprofitable due to fuel consumption).

In the first option, the owner receives only the ashes of his animal, and in the second, a portion of the total ashes. Then the owner himself chooses what to do. Here are the following options: bury, place in an urn, scatter.

In many countries, cremation is considered a popular method of processing the bodies of both animals and humans. The method has long been recognized as the safest for the environment. However, the choice still remains with the owner.

Where should I be buried?

How to properly bury a dog? Under the influence of negative emotions after the loss of their pet, many people commit rash acts and bury the bodies of dogs in their summer cottages, in the garden or on the territory of a private house. Of course, with this choice, you will be sure that no one will forbid you to arrange a funeral on your own territory. Is it possible to bury a dog in the yard? This choice also has its downsides.

If you build a grave on the territory of your private home, you will see it every day. In the first few days, such meetings are normal, but over time they will cause the person even more melancholy and sadness. You shouldn’t stumble upon your pet’s grave every day; you can visit it even if it is far away.

After all, people are buried far away in cemeteries, and not in their own yards, for a reason. The psyche of people is very fragile and it is impossible to withstand a daily meeting with the grave of a loved one. If you bury your dog at your summer cottage, you will experience pain every time you go there on vacation. Years later, this feeling of emptiness will not go away, but will only increase.

Religious people believe that animals do not have souls, which is certainly unpleasant to hear. In their opinion, animals are food and should be killed, but not to allow their own death and to honor them after it. There is no point in talking about the morality of such a judgment; one thing is important to say: burying a dog in a human cemetery cannot be unequivocal. This will be your show of respect for relatives and other deceased.

When choosing a method for burying your dog, consider your strength and mental health, as well as your financial capabilities. If the latter allow you to bury the dog in a specialized cemetery for animals, it is better to do it that way. With the help of pet burial companies, you will save your nerves and money, which can be paid for a large fine if you bury the dog’s body in the wrong place.

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Features of funerals in the winter season

If a pet dies in winter, then a problem arises - the ground sometimes freezes to such an extent that it is simply impossible to make a hole with a shovel. What to do in this case? Features of funerals in the winter season:

paid cremation is a simple, safe and legal way;
self-burning of a corpse on a large bonfire far from the city;
burial pit - try to break through the frozen ground with a shovel or find a place with pliable soil;
burning tires or organizing a large fire so that the ground in the burial site thaws.

In any case, the choice remains with the owner. The main thing in winter is not to leave the corpse in a snowdrift and not throw it in a landfill. If you decide to bury in a hole, you should know that sometimes it takes a whole day to excavate.

Permitted burial sites

There is an exception. There are places officially approved for burying animal corpses. In large cities there are even specialized organizations that deal with pet funerals. Such companies have a plot of land in their property from which they build a real cemetery with tombstones. Such services cost a lot of money; their list includes burial at the permitted depth, purchasing the site itself, and arranging the burial ceremony.

Permitted pet cemeteries have significant advantages: you can be sure that the dog’s grave will remain intact and you will not be fined. A full grave will be built for your pet, which you can visit whenever you want. For some clients, this fact remains the most important. Now you don’t need to look for a burial place, think about what to bury your dog in and how to do it unnoticed. All these issues are taken care of by a specialized organization. A funeral can be arranged in the same way as a human funeral, all family members can be invited.

But such services also have their drawbacks, among which I would like to note:

such services can only be found in large and developed cities;
An expensive procedure, it is especially expensive if the pet has been sick for a long time and has undergone serious treatment.

It is worth noting that such companies cremate the dog's body before burying it. Such conditions are prescribed by sanitary standards and must be observed unconditionally.

The dog had an infectious disease - safety rules

If the deceased dog suffered from an infectious disease, then safety rules are dictated by sanitary standards. The only option in this case is burning and disposal of corpses by the veterinary service. The goal is to prevent the spread of pathogens through soil and groundwater, which often occurs with conventional burial in the ground.

The owner is required to immediately call veterinary workers to treat the place of death, the animal’s body and household items. After this, doctors take the deceased pet for autopsy and cremation.