I thank you all, I am so sorry to be so late coming back but I do have stuff to say.
Lilly passed in my arms and I wasn't sure at first if she was really gone or comatose. I got up, grabbed my stethoscope (I am a former firefighter and EMT) and checked. There was no heartbeat and her eyes were open, so then I knew she was gone. She didn't move or react when I closed her eyes. My Lilly really was passed.
She is a big 85-pound Boxer/German Shepherd mix and I knew my hubby and I would have a hard time burying her in the yard, so I left her for a moment and Googled "pet cremation." It came up with our local funeral home and I called them. They had a real person answering the phone, no phone tree, no junk. He was very kind and helpful, and sent a guy with a van to pick her up. The cremation was only $185.00. Because she passed at 5:00am I had a choice, to have her picked up before business hours (8am to 6pm) or wait.
I didn't want my Lilly to just be here so I opted to have her taken as soon as possible. That was an extra $100.00. So the total cost was $285.00. They came around 6:30am to get her, and that gave the cats time to say their goodbyes. I had her wrapped in her blanket and uncovered her head so the cats could maybe understand. They all came around and sniffed at her, and I think they knew. My precious Pook stayed with her, curling up to Lilly.
The van came and we carried her to the van. They helped us put her in gently.
A nice lady called me and said she received Lilly and explained everything of cremation and made sure I was ok with it and she was very sweet. We went to pick her up on Friday, and she is in a very nice urn and the funeral home was just wonderful.
They made a noseprint and a pawprint of her on some heavy paper and a brochure of a place online where you can have the pawprints and noseprints on necklaces and other jewelry.
Anyway, I guess what I want to tell you is if it comes to this time of passing, call your local funeral home. And I would suggest to call them and understand all this before your precious pet passes. I also found out from our vet that if you call the vet when a pet passes, the vet charges a fee for calling the funeral home and making arrangements.
Our vet said the best way to take care of the pet's remains, even if he or she is put to sleep at the vet, if the precious pet is not too big, to take the pet home and call the funeral home. If you can handle the body.
We couldn't and this was the best way to take care of Lilly. We're both disabled vets and it was hard for us to even pick her up.
Anyway, please call your local funeral home and ask about arrangements for a pet who passes at home. I wish I had known all this before my Lilly passed.
Lilly came back in a pretty urn, her blanket was washed, and we got a nice sympathy card, hand-signed and all her noseprints and all.
Oh and I am sorry to say this, but sometimes during passing, a pet's bladder and bowels can evacuate. Lilly did pee a little in her blanket when she passed. This does happen sometimes and it's just a part of the process of passing.
I have spread the word of the funeral home to dog folks at work.
Unfortunately, yesterday, a resident's dog passed, and he was a Great Dane. He was huge and he passed like Lilly, at home. I had told her of the funeral home when we spoke after Lilly passed and now Henry is at the funeral home.
Rest in peace, Henry.
And Lilly lives on with what I can share.
Thank you my precious girl, Lilly, for teaching me what to do.
I'll see you both one day, and thank you Lilly.
Rest well dear Lilly.:angel:
