After an animal passes, where do the remains go?

[Nadira]

When you have to put your pet to sleep, and you don't ask for their remains, what happens to them?

I recently had to put my 14 year old dog to sleep, and my family decided to not keep the remains. I wanted to, but my family didn't agree. Anyways, I have been told from the passed dogs, that they are communally cemiated, and their ashes are spread among the Earth.

As a kid, I accepted that fact. But as an adult, I now have the internet, and have been looking for my answer. Some answers scare me, and some seem about right.

Also, as a vegetarian, I feel conflicted. My animal was in pain, and it was up to me to release her from it all. I guess that I am a good person for letting her go, but I feel like an awful person for not making sure that her remains were looked after.

Please, someone help me understand what happens to the animal's body, after wards. As a vegetarian/vegan, how does it make you feel about ending a life? How does it make you feel when you don't keep the remains? Or do you feel anything at all.

I like the idea off "Rainbow Bridge", where the dog's spirit goes between this world and the next--and when the owner dies, he/she goes there and retrieves his/her friend. Then they move on to the next world together...so, I understand that the body is a "vessel" in this world, but would like it to be respected, nevertheless.

Any thoughts?  

[moonshyne]

First, let me say that I'm soo sorry for your loss. I'm sure your dog had a wonderful, full life though, and you did everything you could to make her/his passing as painless and comfortable as possible. <333

I recognize death as a part of the life cycle, and I understand that having an animal euthanized is sometimes better for it that allowing nature to run it's course. We don't want to see the ones we love suffer.

As for her remains, she didn't need it anymore. though it probably would have made you feel better if you'd buried her yourself, i don't think it's something you need to worry about or beat yourself up over.  

[LorienLlewellyn]

I have never put an animal down, and I don't think I ever would.

There have been many times when things looked very grim yet a person or animal pulled through, much to even the doctor's surprise.

I also don't think I have the authority to take a life like that without the animal's consent, and I don't think an animal can give consent. Even if they look absolutely miserable, that doesn't mean they actually want to die. If I were in the hospital and things looked bad, I would want people trying right up until the end. Jump up and down on my chest if you have to. xp

We also seem to have a bit of a double standard. Many people put pets down as soon as things look grim, but we don't think it's ok to put a person down. The closest we usually get to putting a person down is unhooking them from life support, and that isn't really "putting them down" as much as it is "letting nature run its course." Some people say, "Well, animals don't understand the situation. We put them down because they're scared and confused." But I don't buy that. There are plenty of scared and confused humans who are dying. There are plenty of people who don't know where they are or who their family members are. But not only do we not usually even consider "putting them down," it's not even legal to do so in most places.

So I would consider pulling the plug on a brain dead animal. But I don't think I would ever consider actually putting an animal down.

Most of my animals have passed quietly at home, so I have buried them at home. A couple have passed at the hospital, and I did not take their remains with me. I think one time I wanted to but could not afford it at the time (it was something like an extra $50 to take the remains). Another time I don't even recall them asking. It doesn't bother me to not have the body or the ashes though. I've moved after burying animals too, so I don't technically have their bodies anymore either.

I always heard they were all cremated together too. But I'm not sure where they take the ashes. I'd like to think they're spread over a garden or lake rather than thrown in the garbage, but I really don't know.

As far as the spirit goes, I like to think animals are reincarnated, and we can keep running into each other. And that's why sometimes we have instant connections with some animals. I don't know if that's what I really believe (I'm torn between reincarnation and "nothing happens when we die."), but it's certainly what I like to think.  

[moonshyne]

I think there's a big difference between putting an animal down when there may be other medical treatments, and doing it because you know for a fact that they're going to die. I can't see anything at all wrong with easing the suffering of others when death is inevitable.

And I also feel the same way about humans, just to be clear. After watching my grandmother die of cancer, seeing her writhe and groan in pain during her last 24 hours on earth, I WISH there was something we could have done for her to make it easier, without being accused of murder.

Now, I wouldn't have an animal put to sleep just because it was old, or anything like that, but if I knew it was going to be an agonizing, painful death, like it is with cancer, I can't say that i'd be able to do it myself, but I wouldn't find any fault with someone who did.  

[LorienLlewellyn]

I don't think it's possible to know for a fact that someone is going to die. The mind and body are remarkable things, and I've seen many people pull through when doctors were sure they were going to die.

My friend's mother got really bad. She had to go into a nursing home. The doctors said she would not make it. My friend made funeral arrangements. Then she pulled through. She got quite a bit better, better enough to go home and have a few more pretty good years.

My grandmother is pretty bad right now. She has days where she probably would give consent if it was legal to put her out of her misery. But she also has days where she really wants to live.

My friend's father had two dogs. They were older, but they were healthy, happy, and getting around just fine. Yet he put them down. He did it because he didn't want them to know pain and disease. And I understand that logic too even though I don't agree with it.

So I feel more comfortable making a person/animal feel comfortable rather than making assumptions about their lifespan, making assumptions about what they would want, and taking their life.

But that being said, I understand that not everyone agrees. And while I don't like euthanasia, I know that people aren't doing it out of malice or anything. People's intentions are usually good no matter what option they go with. It is a hard and painful decision for most people.  

[moonshyne]

I suppose you could really never know anything for a fact, and I'm aware that there are a few remarkable cases out there where someone/thing that seems destined for the grave suddenly makes a full recovery...but realistically, the chances of that happening are slim. I mean, with that logic, you'd never be able to take anyone in a coma with serious brain damage off of life support because there's a possibility that they might wake up in 20 years.

Mind you, I'm not really trying to argue with you here, and I understand perfectly well where you're coming from....I don't know if I could live with myself after putting a pet down, because of the same exact reasons you stated before. I had a 15 year old cat once that spent the last few years of her life indoors because she had developed allergies to everything...fleas, ragweed, pollen, everything...and she really missed the outdoors. when she got old and it became obvious that she was going to die, my mother let her outside one morning, where she slowly limped to a patch of sunny grass and that is where she spent the last couple of hours of her life, basking in the sun. As sad as it was, you could tell that she was happy, and I was glad that we could do that for her. I was also very glad that my mother chose not to euthanize her, because if she did our kitty would never have had those last few moments of joy.

Oh god, that made me cry. haha, anyway, I expect that everyone would have stong opinions on this topic....people usually do when it comes to matters of life and death. XP I guess that's why issues like abortion are able to keep going strong even after several decades of debate.  

[Sexual Liberationist]

There was the Twilight Zone episode, and while I don't agree with the hunting part of it, the heaven part was appealing. A man was hunting with a hound, who started chasing after a raccoon. The raccoon led the dog into water, where it then was able to get onto the dog's back to drown the dog. The goes in to save the dog, but he too drowns. The next scene, the man and the dog are walking down a lane. They reach a gate, and there's a fellow at the gate who says he's Peter and the gate is the gate into heaven. The dog is not liking "Peter" right off, and neither is "Peter" liking the dog. In fact, "Peter" says dogs aren't allowed in. Faced with the choice between entering heaven or sticking with the dog, the man chooses sticking with the dog, and they continue walking down the lane. They reach another gate and another "Peter" - only this time it's the real Peter, and dogs are welcomed in the real heaven. Sticking with the dog saved the man from entering hell....  

[ikeywii]

I believe that if an animal is in such pain then he should be put down. No creature deserves to experience so much pain. The amount of pain a pet is going through should be decided by his owner. After all, the owner knows his pet better than any veterinarian.

But with the remains? I'm kind of torn. It does seem proper to have some kind of farewell ceremony like we would if a human has passed, some kind of funeral. Burying the remains in the backyard or scattering them some place your pet really liked, like some odd trail or park.

On the other side, the animal won't be needing those ashes.

But then its kind of like a closure for the owner...

Yeah, I'm torn.

As a vegetarian, as a person more like I guess, I'm actually pretty scared of ending lives. Death in general. It freaks me out and I'm so scared of it happening to someone I love. I can't see myself ever attending a funeral or spreading ashes either. No. It proves even more that that person or animal will never be coming back.

 

[Nadira]

It's been over week since I had to put my friend down... I am much better, but I still miss her. I realize now more than then of how much pain she really was in, and if I had forced her to live longer, it would have been my my pleasure and not hers. It would have been in-humane. I know someone responded about doing anything if it were your kid. But it's not a kid. Sorry, guys. And if it were, I would still want to make this educated decision, and put the kid out of her missery. See, my doggy lived till 14 years. She had severe cancer, developing blindness, dementia, had severe artheritis, and other assorted gastero-intestinal problems. Sometimes there are no special pills to keep one alive and content. Sometimes it is time to let go. It would have been selfish of me not to...

So, as hard death is, sometimew it is the answer.


I like to think that she is in a meadow out there running along side old friends, without experiencing pain or old aging...she will be back, in some lucky soul's life. I'm pretty sure of that. smile


I don't know what happened to her body, but I hope it was respected. As long as it gets back into the ground, and becomes apart of nature's cycle...I now can feel better. I asked someone, who inquired, and they do burry the ashes. No, I don't know where, but If I broad on it forever, I will never stop feeling bad. I guess I get to pretend that she is burried in Kings Canyon with all of her brothers and sisters...

Thanks for your comments. They were much appreciated...