What to Do With Pet Ashes: Options and Rules to Know

There is no deadline for deciding what to do with pet ashes. You can keep them at home in an urn or the temporary container, bury them where the rules allow, scatter them somewhere meaningful, plant a tree, or keep a small portion in jewelry. Most people take weeks or months. Below is what each option involves, and the rules that apply.

What are pet ashes, and when do they come home?

Pet ashes, also called cremains, are bone fragments left after cremation. The Cremation Association of North America (CANA) says human cremated remains are mostly calcium phosphates with some minor minerals, processed to pieces less than one-eighth of an inch, and typically white to gray. Pet ashes are similar in kind, though the amount depends on your pet's size and the provider can describe what you will receive.

How long it takes depends on the provider. A crematory you deal with directly may be quick, while a vet that sends pets to an outside crematory may take longer. Ask for a written date when you book, and ask whether the ashes will be in a box, a bag or a temporary container. Our guide to pet cremation explains the types of service, and why the ASPCA says to ask for individual (private) cremation if you want the ashes back.

Aquamation, also called alkaline hydrolysis, produces about 32 percent more remains than flame cremation for people, according to CANA. Ask your pet's provider whether you should plan for a larger urn.

What are your options?

Do you have to decide right away?

No. The ashes keep in a sealed, dry container, and many people keep them at home for a long time. Waiting often leads to a choice you are happier with. The one exception is if the crematory is holding them. Ask whether it has a time limit on collection.

If it helps, choose a place now, such as a shelf or a garden corner, and treat that as a pause, not the final answer.

How do you keep pet ashes at home?

An urn is the simplest option. Choose by capacity and closure, and avoid anything with a loose lid. Our guide to pet urn options explains sizing and materials. If you are moving the ashes from the temporary container to an urn, do it on a flat surface you can clean, with a funnel and a sheet of paper below. Put a name and date on a label inside or under the urn so the ashes are not mistaken for something else later.

Can you bury pet ashes?

Often, yes, but it depends on the land and local rules.

• Your own yard. The ASPCA says it may be legal to bury an animal on your own property depending on local laws. See our guide to home pet burial laws.
• Public land. The ASPCA says it is typically illegal to bury an animal on public lands such as parks.
• Rented homes. Ask your landlord. You cannot take a buried urn with you if you move.
• A pet cemetery. It gives you a permanent place to visit, and you can ask about plots, niches and memorial markers. See pet cemetery burial.

A biodegradable urn is made to break down, while ceramic and metal urns do not.

Can you scatter pet ashes?

Sometimes. The answer depends on who owns the place.

• Your own land. You can usually scatter on it, subject to local rules.
• Someone else's land. Ask the owner first, and get the answer in writing.
• Public land, parks and beaches. Each has its own rules, and many require a permit or ban scattering. Ask the land manager before you go.
• Water. The EPA's general permit for burial at sea authorizes human remains only, and the agency says pet ashes and other animal remains cannot be buried or mixed with human ashes under it. Ask state and local authorities about rules for pets, and use a biodegradable water urn if you are allowed to release one.

When you scatter, stand with the wind behind you. A scattering tube or urn makes it easier to control. Our ash scattering rules checker helps you compare places, and our scattering ashes guide explains the main rules for scattering on land and water.

Can you plant a tree with pet ashes?

Yes, with a product made for it. CANA describes cremated remains as mostly calcium phosphates, and the maker of the Bios Urn, a living urn, says planting ashes directly under a tree does not work. Living urns keep the ashes with a growing medium inside a biodegradable container. The pet version of the Bios Urn lists a capacity of 2.9 pounds, so a large dog's ashes may not all fit. Choose a species that suits your climate and follow the maker's instructions. See our guide to memorial trees.

Can you keep a small portion in jewelry or a keepsake?

Yes. Cremation jewelry holds a small amount of ashes in a sealed chamber, and other makers blend a little ash into glass or resin. A memorial diamond is made in a lab from carbon. The FTC's Jewelry Guides say terms like "laboratory-grown" or "laboratory-created" should be clearly disclosed so a buyer knows the stone is not mined, so a provider's paperwork should say this. Ask any maker what they do with the unused ashes. See pet memorial jewelry and memorial diamonds from pet ashes.

If several family members want a share, keepsake urns let each person keep some. Our guide to dividing ashes covers how to do it.

Can you travel or mail ashes?

• Flying. TSA allows cremated remains in carry-on and checked bags, but some airlines restrict checked bags. It recommends a lightweight wood or plastic container, because one that blocks the X-ray image cannot be cleared, and officers will not open it. See flying with ashes.
• Mailing. USPS says domestic cremated remains, human or animal, may go by Priority Mail Express only, in a sift-proof container inside its cremated remains box. This covers keepsakes and jewelry too.

Can pet ashes be kept with a person's ashes?

Sometimes. Rules differ by cemetery, and the EPA's burial at sea permit does not allow it. Many families keep the two sets in adjoining urns or a companion urn at home. See our guide to pet ashes with human ashes.

What mistakes do people make?

• Assuming "individual" means private. Ask whether your pet was alone in the chamber.
• Buying an urn that is too small. Ask the crematory how much to expect, and ask about extra volume after aquamation.
• Scattering without permission. Parks, beaches and private land each have rules.
• Skipping a label. If the urn moves house or is passed on, a label keeps the record.
• Deciding under pressure. The ASPCA suggests memorializing your pet in a way that includes others who cared for them. You can make the choice together, later.

If the grief is heavy, the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement has chat rooms, support groups and webinars for people who have lost a pet.

What to do next

1. Ask the crematory when and how the ashes will be returned, and what amount to expect.
2. Keep them in the temporary container or a simple urn while you decide.
3. List two or three ideas, and check the rules for any place where you want to bury or scatter.
4. Choose when you are ready. Nothing is lost by waiting.