Charter for Pet Bereavement Services

This charter includes pet cremation and pet burial services and has been developed to ensure that pet owners clearly understand the services they agree to for the after death care of their pets.  The charter encompasses all after death services that may be available.

Where a service is described as cremation or burial it should encompass three key points:

• the sympathetic handling of the pet at all times
• the burial or cremation carried out according to the legal requirements of the country
• the committal of the body or the ashes to a particular area intended for that purpose or, in the case of cremation, the return of the ashes to the owner.

As a member of The Association of Private Pet Cemeteries & Crematoria, Nottingham Pet Crematorium only recognises numbers 1, 2 and 4 as part of a genuine cremation and burial system.

1. INDIVIDUAL BURIAL

Pets will be buried with care within a distinct plot in a pet cemetery that may be visited by the owner.

2. INDIVIDUAL CREMATION

Pets will be handled with care and cremated singly within the cremation chamber. All ashes will be carefully removed from the chamber. These may be returned to the owner or buried, dispersed or placed in a columbarium within a distinct memorial area. This area may be either within the crematorium grounds or within a licensed pet cemetery.

3. COMMUNAL BURIAL

A simple burial system with no distinct plot. Burial will be made with care and take place within the confines of a known area intended for that purpose.

4. COMMUNAL CREMATION

Pets will be handled with care and cremated together with no separation. The ashes will be carefully collected and buried or scattered over a known area intended for that purpose. No ashes will be returned to pet owners.

5. COMMUNAL CREMATION WITH SEPARATION OF ASHES

This system is currently under review. It is used by many establishments who may improperly describe it as an individual or private cremation. However, any mixing of ashes is against the concession in the guidance to the regulations which only refer to the ashes of the owner’s pet being returned. Ashes not belonging to the owner may not be returned.

Several pets will be placed with care into the cremation chamber with some form of separation. At the end of the cremation period each portion of ashes will be removed separately. A certain amount of mixing of ashes may occur due to the volatile nature of cremation.

6. DISPOSAL BY INCINERATION

A standard waste disposal operation in line with current legislation without any special handling. Ashes will be disposed of at a licensed waste site.

7. DISPOSAL BY LANDFILL

A standard waste disposal operation at a licensed site in line with current legislation and without any special handling.