Your Pet Has Died: What to Do in the Next Few Hours

Nothing has to happen this minute

The first thing worth knowing is that you have more time than you think. There is no deadline you are about to miss. If you need an hour sitting with them before you do anything at all, take it. Everything below will still be true afterwards.

Keeping them until collection

Somewhere cool, out of direct sun, on a towel or blanket. A tiled floor, a garage, or the coolest room in the house. Wrap them in something soft. Some fluid loss is normal and does not mean anything is wrong. In South African summer heat this matters more, so aim to arrange collection the same day where you can.

Who to call

Your own vet is the simplest first call, even after hours, because most practices have a crematorium arrangement and can take your pet in. If your pet died at home overnight, an after-hours emergency vet will usually accept them. Your local SPCA is the low-cost option. Or message us and we will do the calling.

Decisions you can put off

Whether you want the ashes back, what kind of urn, whether you want a paw print, what to do with the ashes eventually. None of that has to be settled today. The only decision that cannot be reversed is communal versus private cremation, so if you are unsure, choose private and decide the rest later.

If you would rather not make the calls

That is the whole reason we exist. One WhatsApp message and a crematorium handles the collection. R500 flat, including a paw print fur keychain, and we take no commission from any crematorium.