Reflections of a Hospice Vet: Pet Aftercare Q&A Series; Part 3
We love our pets from the moment they come into our lives and become a part of our families. Yet being a pet parent or caregiver also comes with the heavy responsibility of making end of life decisions. Preparing in advance for the death of your pet, while extremely difficult, can be helpful and may lessen some of the stress and burden of decision-making.♡
Farewell planning in advance of your pet’s end of life provides an opportunity to reflect on how you want to honour the bond, the life, and the love shared with your pet.
♡ Remember, these decisions are deeply personal and should reflect what is important to you, your pet, and your family ♡
The Pet Loss Professional Alliance has created a guide to planning ahead. This guide walks you through some of the final arrangement considerations of how you may want to memorialize your pet.
Gateway also has a Pre-planning and pet aftercare support guide for families.
Aftercare is the term used to describe the body care of beloved deceased companion animals.
We have compiled a list of 21 frequently asked questions and considerations in caring for your pet through their death and beyond.
We hope this helps shed some light on some of the mysteries of the euthanasia process and bring some clarity to the care of your pet following their death.
There certainly is a lot to consider in this area, so much so that we have broken this into a 4-part Aftercare Q&A series.
We hope the following Aftercare Q&A series will help inform pet families about your options, alleviate some of the anxiety that comes with the unknown, and help you feel more prepared for the final walk with your dear friend.
PART 3: Questions 10 - 15
Q10: I Find the aftercare selection overwhelming, can I decide later?
We agree, decisions about aftercare can be very overwhelming to make, especially immediately following the passing of a pet
❤ We are here to help make this process as smooth as possible ❤We believe the focus at the time of a home euthanasia should be on loving your beloved pet. Aftercare decisions can wait.
Laura Fast, our Client Care Coordinator
Our client care coordinator is dedicated to helping you through the decision-making process, whether you prefer to make all your decisions before, during, or after your visit with us. We commonly help pet families through texting as speaking on the phone can be too difficult.
“We hope that in separating the aftercare selection from the home visit, pet parents can spend their last shared moments with their pets without the pressure of decision-making. ”
We hope our clients find treasured memorial keepsakes that will bring them comfort and help in the healing journey that follows the loss of a dear friend; and we understand these precious decisions can take time..
Evermore Compassionate Pet Aftercare offers a cool place to hold pets for a limited time for families who have not yet decided on services for their pets. Families who have not yet decided what to do with their pet’s ashes can opt to receive them in a complementary bio-scatter tube, and arrangements can be made at a later date to transfer the ash to an urn.
Our Quality of Life Consultations help reduce the stress and anxiety that comes with that final goodbye.
❤ Our consultations build peace of mind as we guide and support you through end-of-life decision-making, including farewell planning. We end our time together creating an End-of-Life Plan for your pet, which includes pre-planning aftercare arrangements.
Q11: What are some things to consider when choosing an urn?
This is a highly personal choice and you should take your time in making a decision that best fits with your pet’s personality, your home style, and reflects the life you shared together ❤️
Here are some important urn considerations:
🐾 How will the urn be used? Will it be prominently displayed, or will you be scattering the cremated remains?
🐾 Scattering tubes are available through our service and allow for a seamless release during your farewell ceremony.
🐾 Urns are made from wood, metal, glass and ceramic material, in many different styles - find one that speaks to you and the personality of your pet.
🐾 There are many custom decorative urns available so you can find the perfect memorial for your loved one.
🐾 When sharing cremated remains amongst family members, special requests such as splitting of ashes into 2 or more urns will always be accommodated.
🐾 A specific colour or engraving can make the urn more personal and remind you of the special memories you shared together.
🐾 If desired, you can make your inscriptions truly unique by including more than their birth/gotcha dates and death dates, such as pet nicknames or sayings or even photo memorial art.
Clients may browse the selection of urns & memorial products available through our partnered crematorium, Gateway here, and Evermore here.
Q12: What keepsakes are available to memorialize my pet?
All our clients are offered the opportunity to create a beautiful paw print impression with Pawpals at the time of their appointment with us. Additionally we offer complimentary ink nose prints and fur clippings.
In addition to this, our crematoriums also have many beautiful memorial products some that incorporate cremains and others that do not require cremated remains.
Please Note: if you choose communal cremation for your pet there are still many beautiful keepsakes available without incorporating your pet’s ashes. If you are wanting to incorporate your pet’s ashes into a memorial keepsake through our crematorium or elsewhere, this may be an important consideration when making aftercare arrangements for your pet as you will want to choose a private cremation or individual aquamation.
Clay or ceramic paw prints can be made for each member of your family, which can be displayed on a stand, in a leather case, or in a picture frame.
Memorial stones, for indoor or outdoor display, provide a lasting tribute.
Jewelry is a unique and personal remembrance and can be customized to include your pet’s paw print or nose print.
Note: there are additional jewelry options available that can hold or incorporate your pet’s ashes to carry forever by your side, these items are only available with private cremation.
We are blessed in a world full of pet lovers who love to share all the creative ways they have memorialized their pets - here are a few more ideas apart from what our crematorium may offer:
Thinking of writing a memorial or tribute for your pet, but don’t know where to start?
Q13: How Do I Know I am Getting my Pet’s Ashes Back?
This is a common question, and rest assured your pet is followed throughout the entire aftercare journey. Evermore is an owner-operated business that is committed to providing the same respect, care, and attention she provided her own pet. This means that there is continuity though receipt of the pet through to delivery or collection of remains and attention to detail. As well, since Evermore is a small business dedicated to serving our community, the number of pets does not exceed their capacity.
Pet ID tag used at Evermore Pet Aftercare
To ensure that pets are returned to their families, Evermore uses a system that includes both an identification tag and a numbered stainless steel ID tag that follows the pet through each step of the process. The tags are customized for each veterinary practice and are completed by the veterinary personnel when service is coordinated through them. The stainless steel tags are also engraved with the pet’s name as an added measure. The tag completed by the veterinary practice is returned with the pet’s remains, and the stainless steel ID tag is enclosed with the remains.
Aquamation is a gentle process that often allows for the recovery of microchips, implanted devices, and even sutures. These are returned to the pet’s family separate from the ashes which provides peace of mind and confidence that they received their pet.
Our partnered accredited crematorium Gateway adhere to a strict code of ethics and practices in all aspects of their operations. From the innovative and comprehensive online tracking system, “Paws-e-Track,” to Certified Crematory Operators and Registered Pet Funeral Directors, Gateway is committed to achieving the highest level of accuracy and accountability for pet aftercare.
This means all pets entering their facilities are assigned a unique pet identification number that follows them and is electronically scanned through every step of the cremation process. We have also used Gateway for the aftercare of our own beloved pets.
Lastly, all Gateway facilities are fully accredited through the IAOPCC (International Association of Pet Cemeteries and Crematories), which guarantees a high level of integrity and regulation for pet aftercare providers. The IAOPCC is integrating Aquamation into their association. Evermore is a member of the association, adheres to the IAOPCC standards and participates in their applicable education offerings.
We have toured our partnered crematorium facilities and seen first hand the dignity and respect with which your pets are treated. ♡
Q14: Can I visit or view the crematorium?
The comfort room with Evermore
Yes, Evermore provides a comfort room where family members may hold a small ceremony and say their final goodbye to their pet. At this time, the comfort room is at an offsite location. Immediately following the gathering, pets are transported directly to Evermore operations for gentle water cremation (Aquamation) that will take place most often on the same day.
A gentle cremation ceremony may be arranged in advance for immediate family members wishing to view and assist placement of their pet in the Aquamation system and observe the initiation of a private cycle. Please contact Evermore for pricing.
Private viewing and visitation is available with Gateway Pet Memorial. This is another opportunity to say goodbye - to grieve, to celebrate, and to remember your faithful companion.
Arrangements are made directly with Gateway and tailored to your wishes in a warm, supportive, and private environment. There is an additional fee for this service.
Q15: I am having my pet communally cremated, where does his ashes go?
A small portion of the communally cremated remains are collected and interred into an Ossuary, a monument located at Sandy Ridge Pet Cemetery. The remainder of the remains are respectfully buried at the same pet cemetery.
Following communal gentle water cremation with Evermore, a small amount of ash is placed in a communal urn onsite that is accessible for a visit for pet families who choose the communal service. The remaining communal ash is lovingly scattered in nature in accordance with municipal and provincial laws and guidelines. These locations include a local private wooded property along a creek and the Avondale Cemetery common ground cremation dedication garden.
Did you miss any part of our Pet Aftercare Q&A Series?
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