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What Do You Do With Your Pigs When They...go

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RoyalDuke

RoyalDuke

Junior Guinea Pig
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I want to firstly say this could a really sensitive topics so please go back now !
Secondly, if this is inappropriate please delete this thread !

Especially with rescues and places that have high volumes of pigs....what do you do with them if they...go? Do you have a big plot of land to bury them in or cremate them or something?

This was a topic we hardly touched on when I was at college doing animal care, but it was really interesting to me (in a kind of creepy way haha) I learned some ways that Zoo's take care of their gone but not much. It's something that isn't talked about much, it almost gets swept under the carpet.
 
I've had all but one of mine cremated. Still waiting on the last ones Ashes back. I take them to my vets (for those that have been lucky to pass peacefully in their sleep rather than being helped along) and they arrange everything with PCS for me. I then collect the Ashes from my vets when they are ready. I don't have anything fancy, the plainest and cheapest option as I will put them in with a plant.

Bumble and Bea are with my skimmia japonica rubella which is now in the ground after getting too big for the pot. Jemima and Peter passed within 12 days of each other and will be going in with my "special dad" rose my aunt brought me after my dad's death last year.
 
Eddie and Mikey are buried at my parents house, since I rent and want them to be somewhere I know. I'm not sure what will happen when one of my current lot go, I live too far from parents now...
 
20 of our old piggies are buried in the garden of our old family home. When we moved we only had one left..when she passed I was going to get our old neighbours to dig under their fence into our old garden so she was with her friends but that was a bit mad... so in the end she was cremated and stayed with me. As we're renting, all our pets now get cremated so they can come with if we move.
 
All mine are cremated and placed in little casks with those they were friends with. I never put ones that did'nt get along, together (it's a bit weird I know!) I want their ashes scattered with mine one day. I have a fair few caskets now which are wrapped in silk and in my wardrobe. Each little Guinea (and hamsters) have their name plate on each casket. I use Dignity near where I live, and have them cremated the same day where possible.
 
All of mine are buried in the garden. We have a little ceremony to say goodbye and I find it helps me with the grieving process. We are running out of room, though :(
 
It is a sensitive subject but it is something that is guaranteed to happen at some point. I have had all mine cremated as I hope to move at some point and want them all with me.
 
We have plenty of photos to remember ours by, we leave them with the vet for cremation. We have cats all round, I wouldn't like them to dig any up.
 
All of my guineas we had at my parents house are buried in the garden. As are all 8 hamsters under the blossom tree (my Dad still hasn't dug the stump up 5 years after the tree died).
My new house has such a small garden so I had my little Lottie cremated by the vets (didn't get her ashes back). I had to find space to bury Ruby's little still born pup as I couldn't quite bring myself to just put her in the bin or compost heap. I will always try to bury any future pigs who die.
When I worked at the stables when horses died there was a guy who's job it was to collect all of the large farm animals to I assume cremate them.
 
My 4 rainbow bridgers are each in a large decorated terracotta pot with a rose bush in- I imagine that in 20 years or so I will have have a garden full of potted roses.
 
Mine are either buried in our borders wherever there is space or increasingly in large pots that I plant up and can cover during the first few weeks to prevent digging up. Some have been cremated, depending on the circumstances, and their ashes have joined the other RIP piggies. I guess there is a nice little army of furry guardian angels looking after my current 'lawnmowers' out there by now!

I always make a little bouquet with what flowers in the garden at the time and fits the piggy's personality best to go with them. Forget-me-nots that self-seed around the garden are my favourites. We always say a few words when we bury our piggies.

If you live in a place where you are likely to move, then it is best to either use cremation urns or an ornamental vessel with a lid that you can keep all the ashes together, or to use sturdy flower pots that you can take with you if you prefer a burial.

PS: Some vets ask a lot for a cremation referral; it can be a lot cheaper using a pet crematorium directly. You can usually opt for either a permanent urn or for a scattering box.
 
We have always had all of our animal cremated and then collected the ashes.
We kept the ashes until we felt it was time to do something with them.
For example one of my dogs was adopted in the UK when he was 11 years old, so was only with us for a short while. When we moved from England to Switzerland it felt 'wrong' to bring his ashes here, so we scattered them in his favorite walking place.

We did the same for our rabbits before we left England, as we wanted to leave them in the garden that they loved.
My old guinea pigs were actually scattered in my MIL's garden, as that is where they used to go on holiday and they loved it there with their own special hutch and run.
All of the dogs that came to Switzerland with us (4 greyhounds) are in the current back garden under a weeping willow tree.
I know we won't live here forever, but I like the fact that they are in a place that they loved.
I have the photos and memories to carry with me, and burying or scattering their ashes is just one step in the journey of grieving for them.
 
Mine are buried in my back yard (two guinea pigs and two hedgehogs.) An additional hedgehog is buried at my mom's (we were in an apartment at that time.) I would like cremation, but it's very expensive where I live and hard to guarantee that the ashes you get back are from your own animal. This is a lot more cost effective, and I know where they are. Sometimes in the summer I put out flowers for them. The kids do too.
 
I used to bury them when I lived at home with my parents as I know they will be safe there for a very long time.

Now I've moved away and live in rented accommodation I cremate them.

There is a personal cremation service in my area so I take them there (although they will collect from home or your vet). I prefer this to the general cremation services as you know you're getting an individual cremation and the lady there is wonderful. She lets you take as long as you want to say goodbye too. They have a memorial board too that you can put a photo on.

I either collect the ashes and scatter them somewhere appropriate, or scatter them in the memorial wood at the cremation service.

I took one of my boars there last Monday. He is now scattered in their memorial wood with his best friend Arnold and their picture (along with Toki who she cremated too) is on the wall in her office.

IMG-20170119-WA0001.webp
 
I also leave mine with the vets for cremation. I buried a piggie years ago and was so upset when I had to move and leave them. I too have plenty of pictures to remember them by.
 
I had my first pig ted buried in the back garden, my 2nd pig bill cremated and made into a ring which cost £350 and I lost it :( and my last pig sam I had buried in the back garden near to 'bills corner' which is a corner of the garden that has a memorial stone and roses
 
Mine have all been cremated, and so have the hamsters, we have well over 40 little boxes.
 
I have four piggies buried in the garden of my old house. Sadly it was rented. But I have a special painting and photo of them that are hanging in my guinea pig room.

The piggies that have died whilst living in my new home which we own are buried in large plant pots in the garden.
 
I was going to bury Molly, but in the end I couldn't do it. So we had her cremated, we had footprints taken & a lock of her hair. She is in a bamboo envelope above the piggies cage in a deep photo frame. Also I have a scented candle with her paw prints on & little of her ashes in. We arranged this our self. Beautiful place.
We used Dignity as well
 
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Guinea Slave said:
All mine are cremated and placed in little casks with those they were friends with. I never put ones that did'nt get along, together (it's a bit weird I know!) I want their ashes scattered with mine one day. I have a fair few caskets now which are wrapped in silk and in my wardrobe. Each little Guinea (and hamsters) have their name plate on each casket. I use Dignity near where I live, and have them cremated the same day where possible.
Click to expand...
Not Weird at all
 
Guinea Slave said:
All mine are cremated and placed in little casks with those they were friends with. I never put ones that did'nt get along, together (it's a bit weird I know!) I want their ashes scattered with mine one day. I have a fair few caskets now which are wrapped in silk and in my wardrobe. Each little Guinea (and hamsters) have their name plate on each casket. I use Dignity near where I live, and have them cremated the same day where possible.
Click to expand...
 
Tiamolly123 said:
I was going to bury Molly, but in the end I couldn't do it. So we had her cremated, we had footprints taken & a lock of her hair. She is in a bamboo envelope above the piggies cage in a deep photo frame. Also I have a scented candle with her paw prints on & little of her ashes in. We arranged this our self. Beautiful place.
We used Dignity as well
Click to expand...

Oh wow thats so lovely! I never think to do that, I am always in such a total mess and then I think as I hav'nt done it for the others I cannot start it now as the others would be jealous...its very strange how the mind works with grief. The hardest part is leaving them behind in the little basket, and saying your final goodbyes, actually kills every single time.

Dignity are great aren't they? Trouble is I find its so sensitive and respectful that going there makes me upset all over again!
 
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