When a pet dies, grief arrives quickly and the practical decisions that follow can feel completely overwhelming. This guide is written to help you through both — the immediate steps that need to be taken, and the slower, more personal process of honouring your pet's memory.
There is no single right way to handle any of this. What matters is that you give yourself time, take things one step at a time, and allow yourself to grieve properly.
In the Immediate Hours
If your pet passed away at home, you have a little time before any decisions need to be made. Keep their body somewhere cool and comfortable. You do not need to rush.
If your pet was euthanised at a veterinary practice, your vet will guide you through the immediate next steps and may offer aftercare options directly.
Contact your vet if you have not already. Even if your pet passed away at home, your vet can advise on aftercare options and may need to issue documentation depending on your circumstances.
Tell the people who need to know — immediate family, anyone who shared a strong bond with your pet. Children especially benefit from being told clearly and gently, rather than having the news delayed.
Aftercare Options
Home burial is the most intimate option and is legal in Ireland provided certain conditions are met — the burial should be away from water sources, at a depth of at least one metre, and on land you own or have permission to use. It is worth checking your local council's guidelines as it is not permitted in all areas.
Pet cremation is the most common choice for many pet owners in Ireland. You can choose individual cremation, where your pet's ashes are returned to you, or communal cremation, where ashes are not returned. Individual cremation allows you to keep your pet's ashes in an urn, scatter them somewhere meaningful, or have them incorporated into a memorial piece such as jewellery.
Pet cemetery burial offers a permanent, maintained resting place that you can visit. There are several pet cemeteries operating in Ireland. This option tends to be more costly but provides a physical place of remembrance.
Taking Care of Yourself and Your Family
Allow yourself to grieve. Pet loss is a genuine bereavement. Do not rush yourself through it or allow others to minimise it.
Talk about your pet. Tell stories. Look at photographs. Let the people around you know that you need to talk about your pet, not around them.
Take care of your other pets. Animals grieve too. Your remaining pets may show signs of distress, behavioural change or low mood after the loss of a companion. Give them extra attention and maintain their routines as much as possible.
Consider the children in your life. The death of a pet is often a child's first experience of loss. Be honest with them, use clear language, and involve them in remembrance rituals if they want to participate. Creating a tribute page together can give children a meaningful and lasting way to say goodbye.
Seek support if you need it. Pet bereavement helplines and counsellors exist specifically for this. The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) and many veterinary practices can point you toward bereavement support resources.
Honouring Your Pet's Memory
Once the immediate practical steps are taken, many people find comfort in creating something lasting to honour their pet — a permanent space where their life is celebrated rather than simply mourned.
Rest Easy Friend was built for exactly this moment. Creating a tribute page gives you a permanent, ad-free space online where your pet's story, photos and memories live on — and where friends and family anywhere in the world can visit, reflect and leave their own thoughts.
It takes around ten minutes to set up. The AI-powered biography writer is there to help if you are not sure how to begin. And once it is created, it is there forever — a quiet, lasting home for a love that never really ends.
When you are ready, you can begin at resteasyfriend.com/plans.
Written by Mick Hanly, founder of Rest Easy Friend
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)