We’re here today to talk about a tough subject: the disposition of the physical remains of an important member of many homes in America: the family dog. What are your choices when it comes time to say ‘goodbye’ to your dear canine companion? Ultimately, we’ll take a look at three outdoor pet urns for dogs.
Burial or Cremation: It’s Not Always YOUR Choice
In some places, it’s legal for homeowners to bury a pet in their backyard. But for many, such as those who rent a house or apartment, it’s not a possibility. So, they’re forced to have their beloved dog (or cat) cremated.
It’s possible then to have the pet’s ashes scattered by the cremation provider – or to bring the ashes home for safekeeping. While the dog’s ashes will be returned to you in a fairly durable plastic container; most bereaved “pet parents” would rather select a more personal pet urn – and turn to Urn Garden’s collection of pet urns for dogs. Often, they want an outdoor pet urn to be the focal point of a garden memorial dedicated to the memory of their dog or cat.
Such was the case for Bryan Bolger who, in September of 2013, shared the Outdoor River Rock Pet Urn “was the perfect addition to my memorial garden.”
What you’re seeing is the above-ground inscribed memorial river rock. The pet’s ashes are kept in an attached water-tight urn is made of strong and durable PVC, with an easy-to-attach permanent cap. It’s large enough to hold the ashes of an 80-pound dog.
The natural river rock generally runs 1.5-3″ H x 5-8 ” W x 7-9″ L and weighs 8 to 15 lbs. Neutral colors vary from light gray, yellow, and tan.
It can be personalized with 2 lines of engraving, 14 characters (includes spaces and punctuation), plus one image. (Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery for outdoor urns. Expedited shipping is not available on personalized orders.)
It may interest you to know Bryan was also very pleased with the personal care we gave him: “Customer service was great. It arrived quickly and correct.” Thanks, Bryan!
A Personal Story
The home where my sons spent their childhood years is also the place where two of our pets, Gus and Courage (both Boston Terriers) are buried. I clearly remember the morning– in the fall of 1999–when we buried Gussie – the three of us digging a hole in the rocky, tree root-laden soil, singing “All You Need is Love,” as we dug. It was hard, heart-breaking work. Perhaps it would have been smarter to have his physical remains cremated – but I didn’t think of it at the time.
Nor did I think of it when – some 15 years later – I (and his dad, still alive at the time) watched our youngest adult son dig a hole for his beloved dog, Courage. It was dark and cold; Matt had arranged bright spot lights for him to work under, which highlighting the tracks of our tears.
How different our memories might be, had we opted instead for cremation. Then, his ashes could become part of a moveable memorial –allowing my son to take his dogs with him, should he ever choose to move from that property.
The Bronze Outdoor Paw Print Memorial Dog Urn would have been a good choice, I think. After all, it’s got the burnished beauty of bronze! Read Bronze Urns, When Only the Best Will Do to discover more about the irreplaceable qualities of bronze urns.
This outdoor pet urn is intended for a small dog– no more than a healthy weight of 15 pounds. It’s hand-crafted in America, and can be inscribed with up to 8 letters.
The third in this limited gallery of outdoor pet urns for dogs is the Outdoor Granite Memorial Urn, large enough (200 cubic inches) for an adult human being.
Made of natural granite, it weights approximately 60 pounds. It can be personalized with an inscription of up to three lines of text.
Next Time….
I’m currently working on a post about the ancient Egyptian goddess, Bastet; featured in many of our Egyptian cat cremation urns. For now, you can whet your intellectual appetite by reading an earlier 2014 post, “Egyptian Urns for Pets, Regal Bastet” that’s still timely today.
