New Zealand · first steps
What to do when your pet dies
Losing a pet is hard, and the practical questions can feel overwhelming. This is a calm, step-by-step guide to the first hours and the first decisions — with time to grieve built in, because there is rarely any need to rush.
First, breathe. In the first hour there is almost never anything you must do immediately. It is okay to sit with your pet and take your time. When you are ready, the steps below walk through caring for your pet, making the first calls and choosing aftercare — at your own pace.
Step by step
The first practical steps
Four calm steps, in the order most families find useful. Move through them when you are ready.
In the first moments
01Take the time you need
There is rarely any rush in the first hour. It is okay to sit with your pet, to let children or other pets say goodbye, and to gather yourself before making any calls. Nothing you decide now cannot wait a little while.
Caring for your pet's body
02Keep your pet cool and comfortable
If your pet has died at home and you are not able to have them collected straight away, keeping the body cool slows natural changes and gives you more time. Providers suggest laying your pet on a towel or blanket in the coolest place you have, out of direct sun. Handle them gently; wrapping them softly can feel more peaceful. This is general practical guidance, not veterinary advice.
Reaching out
03Contact your vet or an aftercare provider
Your vet clinic is often the easiest first call: many arrange cremation for you and can hold your pet if you cannot keep them cool at home. You can also contact a pet cremation or aquamation provider directly. Either way, you can ask what they offer, whether they collect from your home or the clinic, and roughly what it will cost.
Arranging care
04Arrange collection or drop-off
Some providers collect from your home or your vet; with others you bring your pet in by appointment. This is also when you decide between private and communal cremation, aquamation or burial, and whether you would like ashes returned. There is no single right choice — only the one that feels right for you.
Your situation
Different circumstances, gently handled
Where your pet has died, and whether it was expected, changes the first call — but the choices that follow are much the same.
If your pet dies at home
Keep them cool and comfortable, then call your vet or an aftercare provider when you are ready. Outside business hours you can still keep your pet cool overnight and call in the morning — most clinics and providers will talk you through the options then.
If your pet dies or is put to sleep at the vet
Your clinic can usually arrange everything, including cremation with a crematorium they work with. Tell them whether you would like ashes returned and which type of cremation you would prefer, or ask to take your pet home to arrange care yourself.
If euthanasia is planned
You can decide about aftercare before the appointment, which many families find takes pressure off the day itself. Ask your vet what is included, whether an at-home visit is possible, and how ashes would be returned.
If the death is sudden or unexpected
Call your vet for advice first. If a serious animal-health or public-safety concern is involved, your vet can tell you whether any authority needs to be contacted. In most cases the pathway is the same: keep your pet cool, then arrange cremation, aquamation or burial.
Choosing aftercare
Cremation, aquamation or burial
You do not have to decide everything at once. When you are ready, these guides explain each option in plain terms.
How pet cremation works
The journey step by step, from collection to the return of ashes.
Read morePrivate vs communal cremation
The one choice that decides whether you receive your pet's own ashes back.
Read morePet aquamation
Water cremation explained, and the New Zealand providers that confirm it.
Read morePet burial and cemeteries
Home burial, pet cemeteries and the council and property rules to check.
Read moreCollection from home or your vet
How your pet is collected, dropped off or arranged through a vet clinic.
Read morePet cremation costs
What affects the price, the verified examples we found and how to get a quote.
Read moreYou are not alone
Grief for a pet is real, and support is there
If the loss feels overwhelming, you can talk to someone any time. In New Zealand you can free call or text 1737 to reach a trained counsellor, day or night. Our pet-loss page has more gentle, practical support.
Free, any time
Free call or text 1737 — Need to talk? A trained counsellor is available 24 hours a day.
Common questions
First questions, answered
The things families most often ask in the first day.
What should I do with my pet's body until it can be collected?
Keep your pet in the coolest place you have, out of direct sun, laid gently on a towel or blanket. Cooling slows natural changes and gives you time. If you cannot keep them cool at home, your vet clinic can often store your pet until aftercare is arranged. This is general practical guidance — your vet can advise on your situation.
Is there a time limit for arranging cremation or burial?
There is no strict legal timeframe, and there is rarely a need to rush in the first hours. What matters most is keeping your pet cool if there will be a wait. Contact your vet or a provider when you are ready, and they will guide you on timing.
Do I have to go through my vet?
No. Many families arrange cremation through their vet clinic because it is simple, but you can contact a pet cremation or aquamation provider directly. Either way, you choose the type of cremation, whether ashes are returned and how your pet is collected.
Can I bury my pet at home?
Often yes, but the rules depend on your council and your property, so there is no single national rule. Our burial and cemeteries guide explains what to check — depth, distance from waterways and boundaries, and whether you own the land — before you decide.
Sources & review
This page is general, practical information to help you take the next step — it is not veterinary or legal advice, and body-handling guidance here reflects what New Zealand providers commonly suggest rather than a veterinary authority. Your vet can advise on your own situation, and home-burial rules vary by council and property.
- Burying a pet — what you can do — Citizens Advice Bureau (checked 24 Oct 2024)
- Need help now — advice on losing a pet — Truly Treasured / NZ Pet Cremations (provider guidance)
- Free call or text 1737 — Need to talk? — Whakarongorau Aotearoa / Health NZ
Keep planning
Where to go next
How pet cremation works
The journey step by step, from collection to the return of ashes.
Read moreCollection from home or your vet
How your pet is collected, dropped off or arranged through a vet clinic.
Read morePrivate vs communal cremation
The one choice that decides whether you receive your pet's own ashes back.
Read morePet burial and cemeteries
Home burial, pet cemeteries and the council and property rules to check.
Read moreChoosing a provider
The questions to ask before you book, and how to read the answers.
Read morePet loss and grief support
Real New Zealand support lines and gentle ways through the grief.
Read moreStart your search
Find a pet cremation or aftercare provider
When you are ready, browse providers across New Zealand and confirm collection, cremation type and cost directly with them.
Final Tail is an independent directory of pet cremation and aftercare providers across New Zealand. We collect provider details from public listings, provider websites and information shared with us. Services, availability and pricing may change, so please confirm directly with the provider before making arrangements.