What to Do When Your Dog Dies: 9 Steps for the First Hours and Days

To know what to do when your dog dies, follow 9 steps: confirm the death, say goodbye, keep the body cool, call your vet or a pet aftercare provider, choose cremation or burial, tell your family, update your dog’s records, save a few keepsakes and give yourself time to grieve. Lap of Love, a veterinary hospice network, advises arranging burial or aftercare transport within 12 to 24 hours.

Later, some owners choose a keepsake with their dog’s face, such as one of our pet memorial sweatshirts.

What should you do when your dog dies?

When your dog dies, take these steps in order, at your own pace:

1. Confirm the death: check for breathing and a heartbeat; call your vet if you are not sure.
2. Say goodbye: sit with your dog and stroke it; holding your dog after death is okay.
3. Keep the body cool: lay your dog on a towel in a natural position in the coolest room.
4. Call for help: your vet, an emergency clinic after hours or a pet aftercare service.
5. Choose aftercare: cremation, aquamation, home burial where local rules allow or a pet cemetery.
6. Tell your family: including children and your other pets.
7. Update records: the microchip registry, the dog license and the vet’s reminders.
8. Save keepsakes: the collar, tags, a paw print and a lock of fur.
9. Let yourself grieve: there is no schedule for missing a dog.

How do you know if your dog has died?

You know your dog has died when there is no breathing or chest movement, no heartbeat and the pupils are fixed and do not respond, the signs Lap of Love lists. The bladder and bowels may empty. Small twitches from nerve activity and a release of air can happen after death and do not mean your dog is alive. If you are unsure, call your vet or an emergency clinic.

What do you do when your dog dies at home?

When your dog dies at home, move it onto a blanket or towel, lay it in a natural resting position and close its eyes if you wish. Lap of Love notes that the body starts to cool and stiffen within one to two hours, so position the legs gently while they still move. Move the body to the coolest room, away from sun and heaters, with a towel or pad underneath; in warm weather, or if aftercare will be delayed, add a wrapped ice pack.

If your dog dies at night, follow the same steps and call your vet when it opens, or an emergency clinic or 24-hour aftercare service sooner. To learn why your dog died, ask your vet about a necropsy, an examination after death, before you choose cremation.

Who do you call when your dog dies?

You call your own vet first; Lap of Love lists who can help:

• Your vet: the clinic can confirm the death, take the body and arrange cremation or burial.
• An emergency clinic: at night, on weekends and on holidays.
• An in-home euthanasia or aftercare service: a team that works with families at home.
• A pet crematorium or pet cemetery: ask whether it collects from your home.

Before you call, decide whether you want the ashes back, because that choice sets the type of cremation.

Should you choose cremation or burial for your dog?

You should choose cremation if you want ashes to keep or scatter, and burial if you want a place to visit. PetMD’s guide to burial and cremation options, written by a veterinarian, explains each one:

In PetMD’s 2022 figures, communal cremation usually ran $50 to $200 and private cremation $150 to $450, not necessarily including an urn.

Can you bury your dog at home?

You can bury your dog at home only where your city, county and any homeowners’ association allow it; Lap of Love warns that home burial is not legal in all areas, so check with your local authorities first. Where it is allowed, PetMD describes a grave typically 2 to 5 feet (0.6 to 1.5 m) deep to keep wildlife and odors away, a shroud or biodegradable container, and a spot away from shorelines, reservoirs, wells, wetlands and floodplains. If the ground is frozen, some clinics can hold the body until the weather warms.

If your dog was euthanized, tell your vet you plan a home burial. Pentobarbital, a drug routinely used for euthanasia, stays in the body long after death: a 2003 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service story counted more than 130 bald and golden eagles poisoned after eating euthanized animals.

How do you tell your children and your other pets?

You tell children the truth in simple words. HelpGuide’s guide to coping with losing a pet advises honesty and letting children grieve in their own way, and warns that saying the dog “went to sleep” or ran away can leave a child more confused and frightened later. Other pets can feel the loss too, or be unsettled by your sadness; HelpGuide suggests keeping their routines steady and adding walks or playtime.

Which records should you update after your dog dies?

You should update the records that would otherwise send reminders or renewals:

• Microchip registry: ask the company that holds the chip to close or update the record. The City of San Antonio’s microchip page points owners to the free Pet Microchip Lookup tool, which names the company when you enter the chip number.
• Dog license: tell the city or county office that issued it; Denver’s pet licensing page, for example, has a form to report that a pet has passed away.
• Everyone else: your vet, pet insurer, groomer, daycare and dog walker.

What keepsakes should you save before your dog leaves home?

You should save the collar, tags, leash and a favorite toy, and ask for a paw print and a lock of fur before the body is collected. Lap of Love’s aftercare page says it provides a clay paw print and a fur clipping for families who want them, whatever the type of cremation; ask your own vet or crematorium what they offer.

How can a photo of your dog become a keepsake?

In the weeks after, a favorite photo can become an embroidered portrait of your dog on a sweatshirt or hoodie, with its name stitched beside it. Our guide to a memorial pet portrait from your photos covers choosing the photo and the name. The portrait can wait until you are ready.

How do you cope after your dog dies?

You cope by giving the grief time: talk with people who knew your dog and keep a routine. HelpGuide notes that there is no “normal” timetable for grieving and points to pet loss hotlines and support groups. Many owners find comfort in saying their dog crossed the Rainbow Bridge into a meadow. Our guide on how to cope with losing a pet covers grief, guilt and where to find support; it can take weeks, months or longer.

Frequently asked questions

What do you do when your dog dies and you have no money?

Ask your vet or local animal services about lower-cost options: communal cremation usually costs less than private cremation, and home burial costs nothing where it is legal. Some cities collect a deceased pet; Albuquerque’s animal welfare department, for example, picks up a dog or cat from a resident’s home after a 311 call.

How long can you keep your dog’s body at home?

You can keep your dog’s body at home for up to 24 hours in a cool climate and for less time in warm weather, according to Lap of Love.

What do you say to someone whose dog died?

Say the dog’s name and that you are sorry; a short message is enough. Our pet sympathy card messages for every situation give wording for cards and texts, and our guide to gifts for someone grieving a pet covers what to send later.