The Average Costs of Pet Cremation in 2022

Over the past decade or two, the decision to have your furry family member cremated has become an increasingly popular choice. Our dogs, cats and other animals are considered to be valued members of the family, deserving of an honourable send off into their next life.

Back in 2019, Dignity Pet Crematorium conducted a survey which found that:

• 50% of British pet owners wanted more options to enable them to give their pets an honourable send off.  
• 1/3 of individuals did not get to have the desired funeral ceremony that they would have wished for their pet. 
• a combination of grief and lack of knowledge prevented individuals from having their pet's cremated.
• there is a stigma against talking about the grief caused by pet loss, especially with non-pet owners.

You can read our blog to find out more about why the popularity of pet cremation has risen. 

How does Pet Cremation work?

The crematorium will receive your pet's body by either collection or delivery depending on the arrangements you choose to make. A lot of crematoriums have a room for owners to bid their final farewells, with some even having counsellors on site.

Usually, you are not allowed to be present when the cremation is taking place but you may be allowed to watch it through a CCTV camera. If you wish to stay with your pet through the whole process, many crematoriums do offer an 'Attended Pet Cremation Service' at an additional cost.

Once the cremation is completed, the ashes will be removed and placed into a sealed bag and perhaps a simple/standard box. 

Many crematoriums will let you choose from a range of pet urns for ashes, scattering tubes, small urns or even memorial jewellery for ashes for an additional cost. Alternatively, you might have sourced your own container beforehand.

Type of Cremation Services:

Communal Cremation: When a pet is cremated along with the bodies of other animals. The ashes are then collectively scattered in a memorial garden. You may be allowed to keep a portion of ashes but there is no guarantee which ashes belong to which pet.

If you were thinking about scattering your pet's ashes at a memorial garden anyway, this may be a more affordable way of cremating your pet, as it is generally much cheaper than individual cremation.

Individual Cremation: When your pet is the sole animal being cremated at one time, ensuring that all the ashes that are created are that of your pet. This is a lot more expensive than communal cremation but gives you the option to keep your pet's specific ashes. 

The Costs

Many pet crematoriums receive the most requests for dog cremations. Given that dog's come in all shapes and sizes, the price of their cremation is usually dependent upon the size or weight of the dog. For other animals they may be simply divided into either a 'small' and 'medium' pet category.

For example, Manchester and Cheshire Pet Crematorium categorise the dogs by size, with only two other services:

• small pet (reptiles, birds, amphibians): £95
• cat (all cats): £125
• small dog (toy breeds, chihuahua, yorkie, shih tzu etc): £125
• medium dog (cocker spaniel, cockapoo, beagle etc): £165
• large dog (Labrador, Doberman, husky, GSD etc.): £185
• extra large dog (newfoundland, St. Bernard, great dane etc): £205

*These prices all include a wooden treasure chest casket.

Other pet crematoriums may categorise the pets by weight, for example Central Pet Cremations: 

• small pet <2kg: £85 
• cat/rabbit: £165
• dog <10kg: £190
• 10.1 - 20kg: £200
• 20.1 - 40kg: £235
• 40.1 - 60kg: £270
• 60.1kg>: £310

*These prices all include a scatter cylinder.

Additional Services

In the 21st century, there are many additional services that are available to you if you are opting for a pet cremation.

You may be asked if you would like any fur clippings taken or paw print impressions. These can act as small reminders of your furry friend but also they can be used to create beautiful artwork or jewellery pieces.

You can have your pet collected to be taken to the crematorium and then you can have your pet's ashes returned to you. Alternatively, you can stay with your pet throughout the cremation process.

The services that are provided will depend on each individual crematorium, so be sure to check beforehand if they have everything that you are looking for in order to give your beloved pet an honourable send off.

Breakdown

Here we have created a breakdown of the average estimates of the costs of services available from a pet crematorium:

• Communal Cremation: £50-125
• Same Day Pet Cremation: £40
• Attended Pet Cremation Service: £60
• Out of Hours Cremation: £50
• Paw Imprint: £35
• Fur Keepsake: £5
• Collection/Delivery of Ashes: £1.20 per mile
• Ashes Burial in a Cemetery or Crematorium: £150-350

Pet Urns for Ashes

You may wish to purchase a pet urn for your pet's ashes outside of the pet crematorium if they do not have one which resonates with you or your pet. 

Here at Urns For Angels, we have a range of pet urns available in all kinds of materials including metal, wood, ceramic and natural biodegradables. There is sure to be a small urn which will be to your liking.