Help & Advice
Losing a beloved pet is an incredibly difficult experience, and it's normal to have many questions and concerns during this time. At Cherished Companion, we understand how important it is to make informed and compassionate decisions when saying goodbye to your furry friend. This page is here to provide clear, sensitive answers to common questions, such as when to consider euthanasia, what to expect during the process, and how to handle your pet's remains afterward. We hope this information offers you clarity and peace of mind during this challenging period.
Knowing when it may be time to say goodbye to a much-loved pet is one of the hardest decisions we have to make.
If you are wondering when it may be time to put your dog, cat or other pet to sleep, it can help to look at their overall quality of life rather than one good or bad day in isolation.
You may notice changes in their mobility, appetite, breathing, toileting, comfort or behaviour, or that they are no longer interested in the things they once enjoyed. Pain, anxiety, difficulty getting comfortable or having more difficult days than good ones can also be signs that it may be time to speak to your vet about your pet's quality of life.
Our simple Quality of Life Tracker can help you monitor these changes more objectively and identify patterns over time. We are also always happy to talk things through with you.
If you are concerned that your pet may be in pain or that the time to say goodbye may be approaching, your vet can assess them and discuss the options available, including euthanasia when appropriate.
There are several options for pet euthanasia, and where you choose to say goodbye will depend on what feels right for you and your pet.
Your pet can be put to sleep at your usual veterinary practice, in the familiar surroundings of your own home with a home euthanasia appointment, or arrangements may be possible to use our peaceful Farewell Room here at Cherished Companion in Glossop.
There is no single option that is right for every family or every pet. Some animals are comfortable visiting the vets, while others may feel much calmer and less anxious being put to sleep at home.
We are always happy to talk through the different euthanasia options with you and help you understand what is available, so you can choose the setting that feels most peaceful and appropriate for your pet.
If you would like your pet to be put to sleep at home, you can contact us and we can help arrange a home euthanasia appointment with a veterinary surgeon.
We work with trusted independent vets who provide home euthanasia for pets across Glossop, Tameside and surrounding areas. We will talk through your pet’s needs, your location and your circumstances, and help coordinate the appointment for you.
Having your pet put to sleep at home can allow them to remain in familiar surroundings, with the people they love around them, without the stress of travelling to a veterinary practice.
If you would like Cherished Companion to care for your pet afterwards, we can also arrange to be there following the euthanasia and bring your pet directly into our care, so you do not need to make separate cremation arrangements at such a difficult time.
During a pet euthanasia appointment, the veterinary surgeon will explain the process to you before anything happens and give you time to ask any questions.
The aim is for your pet to be as calm, comfortable and peaceful as possible. Depending on your pet and the circumstances, the vet usually gives a sedative first to help them relax and become sleepy before giving the final injection.
You can usually stay close to your pet throughout, holding them, stroking them and talking to them if you wish.
Every pet and every situation is different, so the exact process can vary. Your vet will guide you gently through each stage and explain what to expect.
Yes. You do not have to use the pet cremation service offered by your veterinary practice.
You can choose your own pet crematorium and decide who you would like to care for your pet after they have been put to sleep.
If you would like Cherished Companion to care for your pet, simply tell your veterinary practice that you have made your own private cremation arrangements and contact us. We can liaise directly with your vet and arrange to collect your pet from the practice and bring them into our care here in Glossop.
Many families choose to contact us before their euthanasia appointment so that everything is arranged in advance. However, if your pet deteriorates unexpectedly or you have already said goodbye, please still contact us and we will do everything we can to help.
After your pet has been put to sleep, there is no need to rush. Whether the euthanasia has taken place at home or at your veterinary practice, you can usually spend some quiet time with your pet afterwards and say goodbye in your own way.
If you have chosen Cherished Companion for your pet’s cremation, we can collect them from your home or veterinary practice and bring them directly into our care here in Glossop.
From the moment your pet comes into our care, they remain with us at our family-run premises until their individual cremation and until it is time for their ashes to come home to you.
We will guide you through the next steps, including choosing how you would like your pet’s ashes returned and any paw prints, fur clippings or keepsakes you may wish to have.
If your pet dies at home, you do not need to panic or feel that everything has to be arranged immediately.
Contact us and we can talk you through what to do next and, if required, arrange to collect your pet from your home and bring them into our care for individual cremation.
While you are waiting, place your pet somewhere peaceful and as cool as reasonably possible. You may wish to wrap them gently in a blanket, place them in their bed, or simply leave them somewhere familiar and comfortable.
You can spend time with your pet, allow family members to say goodbye and, where appropriate, let other pets in the household see them too.
When you are ready, we will guide you through the next steps and help make the arrangements as simple and personal as possible.
Yes. Some families prefer us to collect their pet from home or their veterinary practice, while others would rather bring their pet to us personally.
If you would like to bring your pet directly to Cherished Companion for individual cremation, please contact us first. We can arrange a suitable time for you to come to our premises here in Glossop and make sure everything is prepared for your arrival.
When you arrive, we will gently bring your pet into our care and talk you through any choices you would like to make regarding their ashes, paw prints, fur clippings, urns or keepsakes.
When we collect your pet from your home or veterinary practice, they will be treated gently, respectfully and with dignity from the moment they come into our care.
We use specially prepared baskets with soft blankets to keep your pet comfortable and cared for during their journey. Once your pet has been placed into their basket, wherever possible they remain there throughout their time with us until their individual cremation.
We then bring your pet directly back to our family-run pet crematorium at our smallholding in Glossop, where they remain in our personal care throughout.
Your pet will come directly back to our family-run pet crematorium at our home and smallholding in Glossop, where they will remain throughout their time with us.
They are not routinely transported between different locations or taken to a large industrial facility. Your pet will remain comfortable in the specially prepared basket they arrived in until their individual cremation.
Cherished Companion is run by Ruth and Paul, and we personally care for every pet entrusted to us. Very often, the person who collects your pet will also be the person who carries out their cremation and prepares their ashes to come home.
We deliberately keep our service small and personal so that we know each pet in our care and can provide the continuity, dignity and individual attention we would want for our own animals.
Every pet that comes into our care is individually identified and recorded from the moment they arrive.
Their details remain with them throughout each stage of the process, from collection and care through to their individual cremation and the preparation of their ashes.
At Cherished Companion, we provide individual pet cremation only, which means your pet is cremated separately. Our careful identification process helps ensure continuity throughout, so the ashes returned to you are your pet’s ashes.
Because your pet remains in our care here in Glossop throughout, we are able to personally manage each stage from beginning to end.
Individual pet cremation means that your pet is cremated separately, rather than together with other animals.
Your pet’s cremation is carried out here by us at our family-run pet crematorium in Glossop. Because we personally manage each stage of the process, the person who carries out your pet’s cremation will often be the same person who collected them from your home or veterinary practice.
Once the cremation is complete, your pet’s ashes are carefully prepared and made ready to come home to you.
That is absolutely fine. Not everyone feels that keeping their pet’s ashes is right for them.
We can still provide an individual pet cremation and, instead of returning the ashes to you, arrange for them to be respectfully scattered within our private grounds here in Glossop.
If you are unsure whether you would like your pet’s ashes returned, we are happy to talk through the options with you before any final arrangements are made.
Our individual pet cremation service includes a number of thoughtful keepsakes to help you remember your pet.
As standard, your pet’s ashes can be returned in a scatter tube, along with a paw print, fur clipping and certificate of individual cremation.
We also offer a wide range of optional urns, caskets, memorial jewellery and personalised keepsakes if you would like something different or more personal for your pet’s ashes.
NB: Additional paw prints and fur clippings are available at an extra cost.
There are many different ways for your pet’s ashes to come home, and choosing the right urn or casket can be a very personal part of remembering them.
We offer a carefully selected range of traditional wooden caskets, decorative urns, contemporary designs and more individual pieces, so you can choose something that feels right for your pet and suits where you would like to keep their ashes.
Our range includes options for different pets, styles and budgets, from simple and understated designs through to beautiful statement urns that can sit naturally within your home rather than feeling like a traditional ashes container.
We also offer memorial keepsakes including personalised frames, jewellery and pieces incorporating ashes, paw prints or fur, allowing you to create something completely personal to your pet.
You can explore our full Urns & Keepsakes collection on our website, or speak to us if you would like help choosing the most suitable option.
You do not need to have everything decided straight away.
We understand that choosing an urn, casket or memorial keepsake while you are saying goodbye can feel overwhelming, so you can take some time to look through the options and decide how you would like your pet’s ashes to come home.
Anything that needs to be taken from your pet before cremation — such as paw prints, nose prints or fur clippings — must be requested beforehand.
If you are unsure what you may want, please let us know. We can talk you through the options and, where possible, make sure anything that may be needed later is prepared in advance.
Yes. We understand that more than one member of the family may want something personal to remember your pet by.
Additional paw prints and fur clippings can be requested, and we can also arrange multiple memorial keepsakes, frames or pieces of jewellery for different family members.
If several people would like a keepsake, please let us know before the cremation where possible so we can make sure everything needed is prepared in advance.
NB: Additional paw prints and fur clippings are available at an extra cost.
Yes. Your pet’s ashes do not have to remain together in one urn or casket.
We can divide the ashes between family members, place a small amount into memorial jewellery or other keepsakes, or arrange for you to keep some of the ashes while scattering the remainder.
This can be a lovely option for families who would like to share their pet’s ashes or keep a small memorial while scattering the rest somewhere meaningful.
Just let us know what you would like to do and we can help you choose the most suitable way to arrange it.
Because your pet’s individual cremation is carried out here by us, we are usually able to have their ashes ready to come home relatively quickly.
In many cases, your pet’s ashes are ready within 24–48 hours, although this can vary depending on individual circumstances and the urn, casket or keepsakes you have chosen.
We will contact you as soon as everything is ready. You can then arrange to collect your pet’s ashes from us here in Glossop or, where available, we can personally bring them home to you.
We care for much more than cats and dogs.
Our individual pet cremation service is available for pets of many different shapes and sizes, including dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and other companion animals.
We have also invested in facilities that allow us to care appropriately for larger pets, helping us to ensure they can be handled and cremated with the same dignity, care and respect as every other animal entrusted to us.
Every pet is treated individually, regardless of their size or species.
If you have a pet that is not listed on our website, please contact us. We will always be happy to discuss your individual circumstances and let you know whether we can help.
Losing a pet can affect the whole family, and the grief that follows can be incredibly difficult.
We can provide guidance and support for families coping with pet loss, including helping children understand what has happened and supporting other pets in the household who may also notice and grieve the loss of their companion.
If you feel you would benefit from talking to someone face-to-face, we also have access to trained local people who can provide more personal bereavement support. Please speak to us and we can help put you in touch with the right person.
For telephone or online support, we also recommend the Blue Cross Pet Loss Support Service, which offers free and confidential support from trained volunteers by telephone, email and live webchat.
You do not have to manage pet loss alone. If you are struggling or simply feel you need to talk to someone who understands, please contact us and we will help you find the most appropriate support.
Extended Support
It is perfectly natural to feel upset and emotional when a pet dies. They have likely been part of the family for several years, and it can be devastating to lose such a Cherished Companion. Be prepared too for the fact that different members of the family will react very individually to the loss of a family pet. Support each other as you can and be sympathetic as you all slowly come to terms with the loss of a much-loved pet.
Many people feel guilt after losing their pet and feel they should have done more or acted differently even though it’s likely that owners will have given their pets the best possible care and will have done all they can - there is no reason to feel guilty.
If children are involved, it is important to consider that this may be their first experience of death. To give them the best possible support, be honest with them and tell them the truth about what has happened. Remember the good times with your family pet, get children to draw a picture of their favourite memory of their animal. Write a message to it or put together a scrapbook.
If you are having difficulty grieving for your pet there are organisations such as the Blue Cross Animal Charity who offer a specific service.