Why should I preplan my pet’s funeral or cremation services?

Why should I preplan my pet’s funeral or cremation services?

There are so many things in our lives that we cannot control or anticipate. When it comes to our pets, unexpected news can be more devastating since we are truly, completely emotionally and financially responsible for decisions about their health and care.

Although nobody wants to think about the day their pet is no longer with them, it can relieve a lot of stress and anxiety when we make certain plans ahead of time — especially when there are multiple family members who are as invested in your pets’ wellbeing and care as you are.

Having a conversation now about your feelings about end of life care can save everyone a good deal of heartache later. Considering discussing philosophies about euthanasia and aftercare choices such as cremation vs home burial vs choosing a dedicated pet cemetery for your pet’s final rest.

There are a number of reasons to pre-plan for your pet’s end of life care while they are still healthy. Such as:

  • Preplanning your pet’s funeral allows you to make smaller payments over time.
  • End of life veterinary care can be expensive. If you decide to that you want to lay your pet to rest in a dedicated pet cemetery, you might find this financially difficult when you are also facing extensive vet bills. If you have already paid a deposit and you have been making regular payments, you will find that by the time you are ready, your pet’s funeral costs have already been paid off or nearly so.
  • You want premium memorial options for your pet which you otherwise would not have been able to afford. At Baltimore Humane Society Memorial Park, we offer a range of funeral options from basic, modest caskets to premium, fully-lined caskets. We offer a simple, elegantly affordable memorial stone but we also offer premium memorial stone upgrades to thick polished granite monuments, photo tiles and more.
    When you preplan your pet’s funeral, you give yourself more flexibility to choose and pay off premium casket and memorial stone options.
  • You have more time to choose your pet’s plot location. Visiting a cemetery after the sudden loss of a pet can be emotionally charged and overwhelming. You are worried about cost, memorial designing, casketing vs non-casketing/eco-friendly burials and finding the perfect plot for your pet. When you plan in advance you have time to make more than one trip out to the cemetery, if you wish, to stroll the grounds and view it at various times of the year. This can be very helpful when finding the absolutely perfect spot for you pet.
  • You can let your vet staff know that you have plans in place well in advance. We cannot always control how and when our pet crosses the rainbow bridge. But it can be helpful to let our vet staff know in advance that we do have end of life care plans for our pet. This can eliminate difficult questions and conversations at the end of our pet’s life and can open a conversation between your vet staff and your funeral director about transportation options for your pet to the cemetery, discussions about your pet’s personal items such as collars, blankets and toys that you wish to be kept with them and more.
  • You lock in current prices, and avoid future price increases. When you pre-pay for your pet’s funeral, you can assure you are not subject to any future increases to the prices for burials, caskets, monuments and other costs. Preplanning your pet’s cremation allows you to make smaller payments over time.
    End of life veterinary care can be expensive. As we discussed above, when your pet dies it can be emotionally and financially overwhelming. If you have reached out to a pet cremation provider in advance to pre-pay, you can eliminate the financial stress of paying for your pet’s aftercare.
  • You have time to put together a list of questions and interview cremation providers.
    When you call your local pet cemetery or pet crematory, ask as many questions as you need to until you are comfortable. Be sure to ask if your pet can be accompanied by a favorite toy or blanket. Ask about memorial products such as paw prints, urn selections, fur keepsakes and more. Some crematories allow the family to witness and participate in the cremation process. This is usually an additional fee and done by appointment only. Decide if this is something that is important to your family.
    Pre-planning allows you to have those conversations with your family and pet loss staff.

You will be avoiding any future price increases. One thing that is inevitable in life is that things become more expensive over time. However, if you pre-pay for your pet’s cremation services, memorial products and transportation, you can be assured that you are not going to be subject to any future increases in the fees.

Why should I choose Baltimore Humane Society to plan for my pet’s funeral or cremation services?

Since 1927, Baltimore Humane Society has been offering compassionate cemetery services in our serene historical pet memorial park. We are a privately funded, non-profit animal shelter
supported by donations, grants and our pet loss and cemetery services.

Your final gesture of love will help assure the life and love of many more pets waiting for their forever homes.

How to find additional pet loss support:

If you are struggling with the loss of your pet, ask for support and help. At Baltimore Humane Society we hold a free monthly pet loss support group for pet parents to share and get support.
If you are not local to Maryland, call your local vet office or animal shelter or try a web search for a local group. You can also find a list of national resources and hotlines on our website.

If you live in or around Baltimore, Maryland and you need cremation or burial services for your pet who has died, contact the Baltimore Humane Society Memorial Park at 410-833-8848 ext.
219 or email us at [email protected]. Our historical cemetery is one of the area’s oldest cemeteries dedicated just to pets. Our cremation services are local, personalized and affordable. All pet loss services through Baltimore Humane Society support our life-saving shelter work.

BHS is a private, independent 501 c 3 nonprofit animal organization dedicate to improving the lives of animals in our community. we receive no funding from national animal welfare organizations; we rely solely on grants, fundraising and private donations to operate.