Planning a goodbye that feels like your dog
Most dog deaths are planned: in a large US study, 83.0%[1] were by euthanasia. That gives you the chance to shape the moment. Choose who, where and what, and leave with a simple printable plan.
- Who, where, rituals and music
- Works before or after the loss
- A checklist to tick, copy or print
Farewell & memorial service planner
A goodbye doesn't need to be big to mean a lot. Choose what feels right and we'll turn it into a simple checklist you can print or copy.
Your plan
A farewell for our pet
At home
Next step: Arrange cremation or a service near you →
Why plan it
Why a little planning makes the goodbye gentler
When the day comes, emotions crowd out details. People later wish they'd called a sibling, taken one more photo, or asked whether the dog could lie on their own bed. A plan made on a calmer day holds those wishes for you, so on the day itself you can simply be present.
Planning isn't only for the hours before. If your dog died suddenly, or the goodbye happened in a rush at an emergency clinic, the same planner works for a small memorial afterwards: scattering ashes, planting something, or gathering family on what would have been their birthday.
Using the planner
Four questions, one printable page
- Who. Close family, children, friends and neighbors (the dog-walker counts), other pets in the house, your vet or care team, or a celebrant. Other dogs often seem calmer if they're allowed to see and sniff their companion afterwards.
- Where. At home, in the garden or yard, a favorite walk or place, a pet cemetery, the crematorium, or online for family far away. There's no clinic option, so for a goodbye at the vet's, pick the closest fit and note the clinic in the "When" box.
- Rituals. A candle, a reading or poem, planting a shrub, a letter tucked in their blanket, a photo display, sharing memories, or scattering ashes later. A last favorite meal or a paw print aren't on the list, so note them yourself.
- Music. A song from the car rides, or silence. Both are fine.
The planner turns your choices into a short checklist you can tick off as you go. You can't type extra items into it, so copy it into your phone's notes and add reminders such as "charge phone for photos", "ask the vet about sedation first" and "set aside the collar". Or print it.
Home or clinic
Choosing where your dog's goodbye happens
Most euthanized dogs in the US still die at a clinic, but a meaningful share die at home. In the Dog Aging Project the split was:
76.7% clinic; 22.8% home[2]
Home suits dogs who panic at the vet, big dogs who can no longer manage the car, and families who want children present in a familiar place. The clinic suits families who'd rather not associate a room at home with the loss, and it costs less: about $139[3] on average, against $410[4] for a home visit. Our guide to in-home goodbye and aftercare coordination explains how the vet and crematory work together on the day. By our estimate, about 19% of all US dog deaths are euthanasias at home[5], so a home goodbye is far from unusual.
Where did (or would) you say goodbye to your dog?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Example
Worked example: an afternoon goodbye in the backyard
Imagine a family planning for Pepper, a 13-year-old Border Collie with failing kidneys. Their plan: who is close family and children (aged 9 and 14), with Grandpa joining by video call; where is the garden, under the maple, on her own bed; rituals are a candle and the children reading a short letter each; music is left blank, just the birds. They also want a lunch of plain chicken and rice and a clay paw print before the vet arrives, which they note by hand.
Their checklist reminds them to explain things to the children simply and give them a small role, check the weather and plan a sheltered backup spot, find a candle and decide who lights it, hand out paper for the letters, decide who opens and closes, and leave time afterwards. To the copied plan they add: book a mobile vet and a private cremation pickup for the same afternoon, send Grandpa the video link, set aside Pepper's collar before collection, and keep the evening free. The family also decides the letters will go with Pepper to the crematory.
Families
Including children in a dog's goodbye
Parents often ask whether children should be there. There's no single answer, but honesty helps at every age: use the word "died" rather than "went to sleep", which can frighten young children at bedtime. Older children often want a role, like choosing the song or holding the paw. Younger ones may do better saying goodbye beforehand and joining a ritual afterwards.
Many parents feel unsure: in the RSPCA's pet-loss survey, 93.4%[6] of parents wanted better guidance on helping children through pet loss. A drawing, a letter or a small job on the day gives a child something to do with their feelings. See how other readers handled it in our poll on children at the goodbye.
Were children part of your dog's goodbye?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Keeping it real
What a plan can't control, and what to do next
A plan is a wish list, not a promise. Your dog's health may change the timing, a mobile vet may not be free on the day, or rain may move the backyard goodbye indoors. That's all right. The heart of the plan, who's there and how your dog is held, usually survives any change of setting.
Once your plan is sketched, book the practical parts early. Use the memorial budget planner to cost it, read about quality of life and saying goodbye if you're unsure about timing, and look at our dog cremation services to decide what happens afterwards. If you'd like us to find a home-visit vet and cremation provider who can work together, send us your details. Our local dog cremation pages cover pickup in your area, and grief after losing a dog is there for the weeks that follow.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
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.
Were children part of your dog's goodbye?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Where did (or would) you say goodbye to your dog?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
What helped you most in the first weeks?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Free tools to help you plan
Farewell & memorial service planner
Build a simple goodbye: who, where, readings, rituals and a checklist.
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Pet loss grief check-in
A private, two-minute check-in on how you're coping, with ideas that match where you are.
Questions people ask
What should I do on my dog's last day?
Whatever your dog loves and can still manage: a short slow walk, a favorite food, time in the sun, lying with the family. Take photos and a paw print early in the day. Keep it calm rather than packed; many owners say the quiet moments are the ones they remember.
Can other pets be present when my dog is put to sleep?
Often, yes, especially at home. Some owners feel their other dog grieves less when allowed to see and sniff their companion afterwards. Keep them calm and out of the vet's way during the procedure, and ask the vet beforehand if they have any preferences.
Is it okay to feed my dog a special meal before euthanasia?
Usually, yes, and many families do. Check with your vet first, because some sedatives work better on an empty stomach or can cause nausea after a large meal. A small portion of something loved, like chicken or a burger patty, is a common compromise.
Can I hold a memorial for my dog after cremation?
Absolutely. Some families wait until the ashes come home and then gather to scatter them, bury them under a tree or place the urn somewhere special. The farewell planner works just as well for this, and a later memorial can feel less rushed than the day itself.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] In the Dog Aging Project, 83.0% of 646 US dog deaths (Dec 2019-Mar 2021) were by euthanasia. Dog Aging Project End of Life Survey - Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (2026), via PubMed Central, 2026.
- [2] Of euthanized dogs in the Dog Aging Project, 76.7% were euthanized at a veterinary clinic or hospital and 22.8% at the owner's home. Dog Aging Project End of Life Survey - Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (2026), via PubMed Central, 2026.
- [3] CareCredit's 2025 cost study put the US national average for in-clinic dog euthanasia at $139 (range $110-$253). CareCredit (Synchrony) - How Much Does It Cost To Euthanize a Dog? (2025 ASQ360 procedural cost study), 2025.
- [4] CareCredit's 2025 cost study put the US national average for at-home dog euthanasia at $410 (range $325-$747). CareCredit (Synchrony) - How Much Does It Cost To Euthanize a Dog? (2025 ASQ360 procedural cost study), 2025.
- [5] About 19% of all US dog deaths are in-home euthanasias. Our estimate: 83.0% euthanised x 22.8% of euthanasias at home = 18.9%. How we calculate.
- [6] 93.4% of parents in the RSPCA survey wanted better guidance on helping children through pet loss. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
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