The emotional benefits of cremating your beloved pet
Pets bring joy and companionship to our lives, and many pet owners in Singapore consider their pets as family members. While we strive to ensure that our pets can be with us and be healthy for as long as possible, it is also important for us to manage what happens to them after they die. So, if you are planning ahead for the day of the death of your pet, you have come to the right place. This blog article is going to advise on what to do if your pet dies and you are in Singapore.
How to dispose of your dead pet
The National Environmental Agency (NEA) provides guidelines on how you can lay your pet’s body to rest after they cross the Rainbow Bridge. Broadly, there are two options, depending on the size of the animal.
For small pets like hamsters, small rodents, birds, and fish, the pet’s body can be placed in a plastic bag (that is tied-up) and disposed along with general waste. After this, the pet’s body will be brought to a Waste-To-Energy plant and incinerated with the general waste. This approach has benefits and drawbacks. The benefit of disposing a small pet’s body in the general waste is that it is free and you do not need to make special arrangements for this method. The drawback is that it is not possible to recover the ashes of the pet as the body is incinerated alongside all the general waste at the Waste-To-Energy plant. In addition, it is not possible to watch the pet being cremated, and many pet owners derive a sense of closure from viewing the cremation service.
In the case of a larger pet, like cats or dogs, the Waste-To-Energy plant is not equipped to incinerate their bodies. Due to hygiene reasons, they will need to be brought to a commercial pet crematorium to be cremated.
Benefit of pet cremation
Besides being necessary for larger pets, the choice to go with pet cremation in Singapore also has its upsides: if the pet is incinerated in a Waste-To-Energy plant, the body will be handled with the rest of the general waste. As such, the ashes from incinerating the pet’s body cannot be recovered.
Oftentimes, pet parents will want to witness the cremation of their pet, so it is wise to find a pet crematorium near your location. Pets Afterlife is located in the eastern side of Singapore at Kaki Bukit, so if you live anywhere near Bedok, Pasir Ris, or Geylang, this is an ideal place.
Types of cremation available in Singapore
There are three types of pet cremation available in Singapore and at Pets Afterlife, we provide all three.
- Communal pet cremation is the most affordable option. But for those pet parents who wish to witness the sendoff of their beloved pet, it is not suitable as the pet will be cremated along with other animals, and it is not possible for the pet parent to attend the cremation. Also, since the pet will be cremated communally, the ashes of the pet will be mixed in with the ashes of the other animals. As such it is not possible to recover the ashes of each individual pet and to many pet parents, it is a great comfort to be able to retain their pet’s ashes.
- Individual pet cremation is more expensive than communal pet cremation and more affordable than a private pet cremation. If you choose this route, your pet will be cremated in a chamber with other animals, but the pet’s body will be separated from the others by a barrier. While it is still not possible for the pet parent to see the service, this process allows for the ashes of the pet to be retained and returned to the pet parent.
- A private cremation is the most expensive option for cremating a pet. The pet will be cremated in its own chamber and as such, it is possible to attend the service. For some pet parents, the opportunity to say goodbye for one last time is a cathartic experience that brings peace and closure.
What you can do with the ashes
After the service, the ashes can be scattered at sea or returned to the pet parent in an urn. At Pets Afterlife, we offer two cremation packages, please click on this link to review them, and the package comes with a basic urn for ashes. However, if you intend to display the ashes at home or in a pet columbarium, you might wish to purchase one of our beautiful pet urns.
Conclusion
Since the loss of a pet can be a deeply discombobulating experience, it is wise to remove any friction that can come from having to travel a long distance to witness the cremation. Also, it might be a wise consideration to ensure that the venue is convenient for your family members or friends to go to, in case they also wish to bid farewell to the pet, or so that you can have their emotional support when witnessing the service. As such, it is important to choose a pet crematorium near you.
