Tell us about your animal and we'll find who can help
Some California counties allow just 24-48 hours[1] before a dead animal must be dealt with, so the sooner we know the species, weight and location, the faster we can point you to someone who takes farm animals.
- Providers that accept your species and weight
- Collection, delivery and price questions answered
- Your details stay private
Before you write
What to include so we can help quickly
With a dog, the location is usually enough. With a farm animal, the details decide whether a provider can help at all. Many pet crematories refuse pigs, cap weight or don't drive out to farms, so a little information up front saves you a round of refusals.
- Species and breed, for example Nigerian Dwarf goat, Shetland ewe, kunekune pig, huacaya alpaca, standard donkey, Pekin duck.
- A rough weight. A guess is fine. If you're unsure, say 'about the size of a Labrador' or 'bigger than me'.
- Where the animal is: at home, at the vet, in a field far from the track.
- Whether you want ashes back, or whether communal cremation or collection is fine.
- Timing: has your animal died, or are you planning ahead for an older or ill one?
- Anything unusual: several animals, a sudden death, a disease concern, no vehicle access.
If you'd like a price idea first, the cremation cost calculator gives a range by weight, and the ashes weight estimator tells you how much will come home.
What happens next
What happens after you press send
- We read your request and check which providers accept that species, at that weight, in your area.
- We reply by email with the options we found, what each one offers, how collection works and any published prices.
- You decide who to contact. If you'd like us to pass on your details to a provider, just say so.
- The provider confirms the price, arrangements and paperwork with you directly.
We don't book anything on your behalf, take payment or send anyone to your farm. We're an independent guide, and our about page explains exactly how that works. If time is short because your animal has died in warm weather, say so in the message so we can prioritize options with same-day collection.
If your animal died today
What to do while you wait for our reply
Move the body into shade, cover it loosely and keep other animals and dogs away. If you'll want a lock of fleece, a few feathers or the halter, take them now. Then look at your local rules: if you're in England and the animal is a sheep, goat or pig, it counts as fallen stock. The government's fallen stock guidance explains who is allowed to collect.
24 h / 72 h[2]
Most people also want their animal away from home or the vet quickly. In a US survey, the single most common wish was for a pet to leave the vet hospital within a day, a figure shown below. Our pages on local rules and providers cover the time limits where you live.
26.1% want <24h[3]
Scope
What we can and can't help with
We help with aftercare for named animals on smallholdings and hobby farms: goats, sheep, pigs of every size, alpacas, llamas, donkeys, mules and backyard poultry. That includes private and communal cremation, farm collection, and honest information about fallen-stock, burial and composting where they're allowed.
We can't give veterinary or legal advice, report a disease on your behalf or arrange commercial herd disposal. If you suspect a notifiable disease, call your vet or your state or national animal health office first. For the full range of aftercare routes, see our services page.
Your details
How we look after what you send
We use your details only to answer your request. We pass them to a provider only when you ask us to. We don't sell them, and we don't add you to a mailing list because you asked about your goat.
Comparing providers is worth the effort: only 52%[4] of UK cremation buyers even recalled getting price information. We'll always send what we can find, and suggest you ask each provider for a written total. Our research sources show where the numbers on this site come from.
By our calculation from the same survey, only about 6% of all bereaved UK pet owners[5] compare cremation providers before they buy. The regulator's findings are in the Competition and Markets Authority's provisional decision report, and our poll results show what other keepers found hardest when their turn came.
Do you have a plan for when one of your older animals dies?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
Vote anonymously and see how other readers answered. The results are live counts from people who visit this site, so they show real opinions, not a scientific sample.
Do you have a plan for when one of your older animals dies?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Which of your animals are you thinking about today?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
When did you (or will you) decide on aftercare?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Questions people ask
How quickly will you reply?
We reply by email as soon as we've checked which providers can take your animal. We can't promise a set time, so if your animal has died and it's warm, also call your vet or a local provider directly and mention that in your message to us.
Is there a charge for sending a request?
No. Sending a request and getting our reply is free. Any cremation, collection or urn is priced and paid directly with the provider you choose, and you're under no obligation to use anyone we suggest.
Can you help if I'm outside the US?
We cover the US most fully, and also include UK, Canadian and Australian information where we have it. Rules for farm species differ a lot between countries, especially on burial, so tell us exactly where you are and we'll say plainly if we can't help.
Can I ask about several animals at once?
Yes. Tell us the species and rough weight of each and whether you want ashes returned for all of them. Some providers can collect several animals in one trip, which can bring the collection cost per animal down.
What if I don't know my animal's weight?
Give your closest guess or a comparison, such as a large dog, a person or a pony. Breed and age help too. Providers mainly need to know whether the animal fits their chamber and how many people or what equipment collection will take.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] Several California counties give owners 24 or 48 hours to dispose of a dead animal before penalties apply. UC Cooperative Extension (Schohr, Lile, Snell) - Livestock Carcass Management, UC ANR 2021, 2021.
- [2] In the UK, when fallen stock needs BSE testing, the collector must be contacted within 24 hours of death and the animal delivered to an approved sampling site within 72 hours. GOV.UK (Defra/APHA) - Fallen stock guidance, 2024.
- [3] The most common owner preference (26.1%) was for a deceased pet to stay at the vet hospital less than 24 hours before transport to the crematory or cemetery; a further 18.1% said no more than 1-2 days. Cooney, Kogan, Brooks, Ellis - Pet Owners' Expectations for Pet End-of-Life Support and After-Death Body Care, Topics in Companion Animal Medicine (2020), 2020.
- [4] Only 52% of UK cremation buyers recalled receiving information on the price of the service and different packages. UK Competition and Markets Authority - Veterinary services for household pets, Provisional decision report Part A (Oct 2025), 2025.
- [5] Only about 6% of all bereaved UK pet owners compare cremation providers before buying. Our estimate: 67% cremate x 9% compared = 6.0%. How we calculate.
Send us your animal's details
Tell us what you need and where you are. We'll reply by email with clear options and prices so you can decide in your own time.