What Do You Do When Your Pet Dies at Home?

Updated November 3, 2026

Call your veterinarian first, even after hours. Your vet's office can usually take your pet's body, keep it in cold storage and arrange cremation, so you don't have to decide everything tonight. While you wait, wrap your pet in a blanket or towel and keep them somewhere cool.

Take a moment first

When a dog or cat dies at home, there is rarely a reason to rush. It's fine to sit with them, let family members say goodbye, and let other pets in the house see and smell them if you'd like. Many people find that helps everyone understand what happened.

If you aren't sure your pet has died, look for no breathing, no heartbeat and eyes that stay open and don't respond. If you're unsure at all, call your vet or an emergency animal hospital right away.

Who to call

• Your regular veterinarian. Many clinics will take a pet's body, even one that died at home, and hold it until you decide what you want. They usually work with a crematory and can arrange private or group cremation for you.
• An emergency animal hospital, if your vet is closed and you'd rather not keep your pet home overnight.
• A pet crematory or pet cemetery directly, if you already know what you want. Some offer pick-up from your home.

Veterinarians have their own professional guidance on this. The American Veterinary Medical Association says the identification tag should be filled out right away and stay with your pet's body the whole time, and that families should be told what to expect about timing.

Caring for your pet's body until then

• Lay them on their side on a towel or blanket, with legs gently tucked, the way they slept. The body stiffens within a few hours, so it's easier to do this early.
• Expect some fluid. It's normal for the bladder or bowels to release. A towel or puppy pad underneath helps.
• Keep them cool. Vet clinics move pets into cold storage as soon as they can, because cooling slows natural changes. At home, a cool room, a garage in cold weather or a basement works for a short time.
• Keep them covered and inside. Wisconsin's law on animal remains, which covers domestic animals, says a body can't be left where dogs or wild animals can get to it for more than 24 hours from April through November, or more than 48 hours from December through March.

Your choices for what comes next

You don't have to choose tonight. Your vet can hold your pet while you think it over. These are the main options:

• Private cremation. Your pet is cremated alone and you get their ashes back.
• Group (communal) cremation. Several pets are cremated together. It costs less, but the ashes are not returned.
• Aquamation. Also called water cremation or alkaline hydrolysis, it uses water and alkalinity instead of flame, and you get the remains back much like ashes. Not every area offers it.
• Burial at home. Many families bury a pet in their own yard. Read Can you bury a pet in your backyard in Wisconsin? before you dig.
• A pet cemetery. There were more than 700 pet cemeteries in the US as of 2020, according to the AVMA.

Cremation is the most common choice. The AVMA reports that about 80% of families choose cremation, split roughly evenly between private and group cremation. For help weighing the two, see Should you cremate or bury your pet?

Questions to ask a crematory

• Is my pet cremated alone, or with dividers between pets? The two are not the same.
• How do you track my pet from pick-up to return?
• Can I see my pet, or be there, before or during the cremation?
• How long until the ashes come back, and will you call me?

The AVMA suggests choosing a provider that tracks each pet through the whole process and takes full responsibility if something goes wrong.

Moving your pet yourself

If you're driving your pet to the clinic or crematory, use a box, pet carrier or a blanket that covers them completely. Wisconsin law says a dead animal carried on a public road has to be in a closed vehicle or container, or completely covered.

Keeping their memory close

Some families keep the collar, a paw print or a clipping of fur. Ask your vet or crematory if they can make a paw print or save some fur before cremation, because it can't be done afterward. If you're choosing an urn or keepsake for the ashes, our urn sizing guide explains how to work out the size.

Frequently asked questions

How long can I keep my pet's body at home?

A few hours is usually fine in a cool room. For longer, call your vet, who can keep your pet in cold storage. Wisconsin law also limits how long a dead animal can be left where other animals can reach it: 24 hours from April through November and 48 hours from December through March.

Will my vet take my pet if they didn't die at the clinic?

Many will. Call ahead so they know you're coming, and ask what they charge for cremation and whether you'll get the ashes back.

What if my pet was put to sleep at home?

If a vet came to your home for euthanasia, they can usually take your pet with them for cremation. If you plan to bury your pet instead, tell the vet first. The drug used for euthanasia stays in the body and can poison wildlife or other pets that dig up the remains, so burial needs extra care.

This article is general information, not veterinary or legal advice. Local rules vary, so check with your vet or your city before you act. Last checked November 3, 2026.

Sources: AVMA: A veterinarian's role in pet after-death care; Feline Veterinary Medical Association: Final arrangements; Wis. Stat. § 95.50; Wis. Stat. § 95.72; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Secondary pentobarbital poisoning of wildlife.