My pet died at home. What do I do now?

Stay with your pet for as long as you want to. If you are unsure whether they have died, look for breathing at the chest and feel for a heartbeat behind the front leg; if you find neither and there is no response to touch or sound, your pet has died. Some things you may notice are normal after death: the eyes usually stay open, the body may release urine or stool, and there may be a small movement or sigh as muscles relax.

If you want to, sit with them. Say what you want to say. This time is yours, and no one is waiting on you.

Within a few hours, gently wrap your pet in a towel, blanket, or sheet and move them to the coolest spot you have. If the eyes are open, you can close them with a light touch. Place a towel or plastic underneath in case of leakage, and if you can, position the body with the legs tucked, since stiffening begins within a few hours and makes it harder to move them later.

A garage, basement, mudroom, or tile floor works well. If it is warm or you expect to wait more than a day, a bag of ice or frozen packs wrapped in a towel and set beside or beneath the body will help. Some families with a small pet use a cooler. Keep the body out of direct sun and away from heat.

If your pet dies in the evening or overnight, it is fine to wait until morning. A wrapped pet in a cool room will be all right until businesses open. Keep other pets in a separate room; they may be curious or distressed, and it is easier for everyone if they are not moving around the body. Many families let other pets sniff and see briefly first, which can help them understand; we talk about this in Do pets grieve?

If you truly cannot keep the body at home overnight, some emergency veterinary hospitals will receive a pet after hours and hold them until you arrange aftercare. Call before you drive, and ask whether there is a fee.

Your veterinarian is the simplest first call; most practices can receive your pet, hold them, and arrange cremation or aquamation through a provider they already work with. You can also call an aftercare provider directly, and many will pick up from your home. Ask what options they offer, whether ashes are returned, and what it costs, and ask for the answers in writing if you can.

Ondara will offer aquamation in Boulder when we open in early 2027. We cannot accept a pet before then, and we would rather you reach someone who can help now than wait on us. The providers on our help-now page were operating when we last checked.

Some families choose to bury a pet at home, and the rules vary by city and county. Before you dig, check with your city or county, and consider whether you may move someday, how close the spot is to wells and waterways, and whether wildlife could disturb a shallow grave. If your pet was euthanized, ask your veterinarian whether the medication used makes burial unsafe for scavengers. If you rent, ask your landlord.

A death at home, especially an unexpected one, can leave you shaky, and that is normal. Tell one person what happened so you are not carrying it alone. Eat something. If there are children in the house, they will take their cues from you; we wrote about that in How do I help my child through the loss of a pet? The ASPCA Pet Loss Hotline at 877-474-3310 can talk you through the day. If your thoughts turn toward harming yourself, call or text 988.

When you are ready for more, our grief support page and How do I move forward after losing my pet? are here.