If you are considering pet cremation, you may be wondering exactly how the process works. Here is a guide to pet cremation services and how they work. 

Who Does Pet Cremation?

Many cremation services will accept pet remains as well as human remains. Check with your cremation facility for quotes on how much the process will cost; larger animals will take longer to cremate, and so they may be more expensive. If you are unsure of how to find a cremation facility in your area, a local funeral director can be a good resource for finding locations near you. 

Choosing Private or Mass Cremation

Once decision you'll need to make is whether you want to participate in an individual or mass cremation. With a private cremation, your pet will be cremated individually. This way, the pet's ashes can be returned to you in an urn or another commemorative vessel. The other option is a mass pet cremation. In this type of service, several pets may be cremated at the same time. Your cremation facility may still be able to return a portion of the combined ashes to you. Otherwise, they may be placed in a memorial facility on the grounds of the cremation center. 

How the Process Works

When you sign up for cremation services for your pet, you can expect the cremation facility to pick up the pet at your residence. They will transport your pet to a cremation facility to do a private or mass cremation. It may take a few days for your pet's ashes to be returned to you if the facility is very heavily used. The process itself takes a couple of hours or less, depending on the size of your animal. The facility then returns your ashes in the vessel you have specified or disposes of them on site. 

What Can You Do with the Ashes?

There are a variety of things that you can do with the ashes once you have them. Some families choose to have a small memorial service at their home for the pet, and they may bury the urn in the backyard or create a lasting memorial to the pet. If several family members were very close to the pet, then you might give them each a portion of the ashes to do what they see fit. There are plenty of ways to incorporate ashes into other materials such as jewelry, paintings, and building materials. Cremation provides a good start for giving your pet a new home elsewhere. 

For more information on cremation, contact a company like Romero Family Funeral Home Corp.