What to Do When Your Pet Dies in Singapore

Losing a pet is one of those moments where everything stops mattering except the one thing in front of you. Whether it happened suddenly or you had weeks to prepare, there are things you need to do — some of them legal requirements, some of them practical, and some of them things nobody tells you about.

This guide covers what actually happens in Singapore, step by step. No sales pitch.

The first 24 hours: what to do immediately

Take a moment before you do anything else.

Shock, guilt, anger and emptiness are all normal. You are allowed to feel all of them. Don't rush into logistics before you've said goodbye properly — you'll regret it if you do.

When you're ready:

1. Place the body somewhere cool and clean. A tiled floor or air-conditioned room is ideal. Cover with a clean towel or blanket.
2. Keep it away from children and other animals. This is a practical matter, not a cold one.
3. If you're unsure whether they've actually passed — particularly with small animals like hamsters or rabbits — call your vet. They're familiar with this and it's not a silly question.
4. If your pet passed at the clinic, most Singapore vet clinics will help you contact a crematorium straight away. You don't need to arrange transport yourself in most cases.

The legal part (Singapore-specific)

This is the bit that catches people out.

Can I bury my pet?

Only on your own private landed property.

Burial is not permitted in:

• HDB flats or condominium gardens
• Rental properties
• Parks, beaches, or any public space
• Even the area near your HDB block

This is under the Environmental Public Health (Public Cleansing) Regulations. Don't risk it — fines apply, and it's genuinely unpleasant for neighbours.

What about small pets (hamster, fish, bird)?

AVS guidelines allow you to securely double-bag the body and place it in a general waste bin. This is legal for small pets only.

Alternatively, you can use a commercial crematorium — several Singapore providers handle all pet sizes.

What about dogs and cats?

Dogs and cats must go through a licensed commercial animal crematorium. The NEA waste-to-energy plants are not designed for animal carcasses of that size.

Do I need a permit or certificate?

You'll need documentation, though it's not technically a "permit":

• Your vet will usually issue a certificate of death or medical record
• Or the crematorium will issue a cremation invoice

You'll need one of these for the licence cancellation below. Keep it.

Don't forget: cancel your PALS licence

This is the step people forget, and it means you keep paying for a dead pet's licence.

How to do it:

1. Go to pals.avs.gov.sg and log in
2. Open the "My Licences" tab
3. Click the "Cancel licence" icon next to your pet
4. Upload your death certificate or cremation invoice

Supporting documents AVS accepts:

Save a copy of your submission. This only applies to cats and dogs — hamsters and fish aren't licensed.

Cremation options in Singapore

Private cremation

Only your pet is cremated. Ashes are returned in an urn of your choosing.

Choose this if: you want the ashes, and certainty that they're only your pet's. Range roughly S$160–800+ depending on size and provider.

Individual / partitioned cremation

Multiple pets share the chamber but in separate compartments. Ashes are still returned.

Middle ground. Range roughly S$54–780.

Communal cremation

Multiple pets cremated together without separation. Ashes are not returned.

Least expensive, roughly S$20–430. It's a respectful option, but many owners find they regret not having the ashes afterwards.

Aquamation (water cremation)

A gentler, more environmentally friendly alternative to flame cremation. The body is broken down with water and alkaline solutions, leaving soft ashes that can be returned to you.

Growing in availability in Singapore.

What to do with the ashes

There's no single right answer.

The part nobody mentions: what to do with their fur

Here's the thing that surprises people. When you groom your pet — or even just hug them — you collect a surprising amount of hair over the years. Brushings, clippings from nail trims, the hair on their blanket, the tufts that come out on your clothes every single day.

And then the crematorium takes the body, and the hair goes with it.

For a lot of people, this becomes the thing they didn't know they were grieving. The photographs are on the phone. The toys get put away. But that small physical trace of them — the soft fur that still smells like them — you can't replace that.

What are your options?

1. Nothing. Completely valid. Not everyone wants a keepsake, and that's fine.

2. Paw print or clay impression. Available through most pet crematoriums and memorial studios. Simple, physical, and it captures their actual paw.

3. A lock of fur in a locket or pendant. A small, wearable keepsake. Many owners wear this for years.

4. Turn the fur into a diamond. This is what we do at FURLUM.

Here's how it works: hair is mostly carbon. The same carbon that gets mined from the earth in a diamond mine. We separate the carbon from your pet's hair, then grow a real diamond from it under high pressure and high temperature over 20–28 days.

What comes out is a lab-grown diamond — chemically identical to a mined diamond, certified by an independent grading lab, and traceable back to your pet's specific sample.

It is not a moissanite, not cubic zirconia, and not a "memestone" made from ash. It's an actual diamond.

Some owners engrave the pet's name on it, or a date. Some set it in a ring they wear every day. Some put it in a locket next to a photograph.

It won't bring them back, and we'll never claim it does. That's not what this is for.

How long does the whole process take?

• Cremation itself: usually same day or next day after collection
• Collecting ashes: typically within a few days
• If you're growing a diamond: add 20–28 days for growth, then cutting, setting and certification — realistically 30–45 days total from when the sample reaches the lab

Cost, honestly

Cremation prices are provider-reported market rates, not government-set fees. Always ask for an itemised quote covering collection, cremation type, and ashes.

A short checklist

When you're ready:

1. Confirm the passing (with your vet if unsure)
2. Secure the body somewhere cool
3. Contact a licensed crematorium — most offer 24-hour islandwide collection
4. Cancel the PALS licence at pals.avs.gov.sg with the death certificate
5. Decide ashes arrangement: home, columbarium, or sea
6. Consider a keepsake — paw print, lock of fur, or a diamond grown from their hair
7. Allow children to ask questions honestly. Avoid "gone to sleep" if it might confuse them about sleep; instead say their body has stopped working and won't come back.
8. If grief becomes hard to manage, that isn't weakness. Singapore Counselling Centre: +65 6339 5411. Also see petloss.com.sg.

If you're not ready to adopt again — and that's alright

Some people wait years. Some never do. All of that is valid.

A new pet doesn't replace your companion — it's an entirely different relationship. When you're ready, Singapore's shelters have animals who need good homes: SPCA, SOSD and ASD for dogs, CWS and SPCA for cats.

There's no more meaningful tribute than giving another animal a safe life. But only when you're ready.

What to ask any pet crematorium before booking

• Is the price inclusive of GST, collection, after-hours handling, and delivery?
• Will you get an itemised written quote?
• Which cremation type — and will ashes be returned?
• Can I witness the process if I want to?
• What happens if my pet passes outside your operating hours?

Don't choose on price alone. Confirm the service type and ashes arrangement first, because a low communal quote won't meet everyone's wishes.

About FURLUM

We grow lab-grown diamonds from pet hair in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, working with an NGTC-accredited partner lab. Every stone comes with an independent grading certificate.

See how it works → · View the collection →

We don't do cremation or funeral services — we're only here for the part that comes after.

Read next

• Qing Ming Pet Memorial in Singapore — temple tablets, the 49-day tradition, and paper offerings

This guide references AVS (Animal & Veterinary Service) and NEA regulations as of October 2026. Rules may change — always verify with pals.avs.gov.sg or avs.nparks.gov.sg before making arrangements.