Went to collect my beloved dogs ashes to find they had given them to another family

I too am hoping the other family won't have scattered your beloved dog's ashes. I too have my DD ashes still in the scatter tube after years. You do usually get a "certificate" that confirms the cremation with the scatter tube - this may have been given together in a bag. It may be that the other family hasn't even opened the bag - I didn't for about 2 weeks. So they may be totally unaware. Hopefully the vets will get hold of them soon. What an upsetting situation for you, sending love ❤️

I chose a scatter tube for my dogs ashes and although it has been a few years she is still in my dining room. Hopefully the other family won't have scattered them yet. I am sorry for your loss and that this has happened 💐

I had the scatter boxes both times, I couldn't bring myself to scatter either of my dogs and they passed in 2021 and 2025. They are still on the bookcase in my living room together so I can see them everyday.

Hopefully they still have them. I'm so sorry. It is so hard losing a beloved dog, 💔 and these circumstances have added to your grief and pain. My ❤️ goes out to you

I’m so sorry to read this. I really hope his ashes can be tracked down and you get them returned so you can have closure.

My Ddog was PTS at home by a specialist service, and the vet took her away with him as he lived near the crematorium anyway.
I paid extra to have her cremains hand delivered to me.

The other family may not have scattered the ashes yet. Many people keep them at home.

I hope you get some closure. it sounds awful.

I can’t even begin to feel your pain. I lost my beloved boy in 2022 and he now lives by the fire - his favourite place. I totally get why you’re so distraught. I’m praying the other family haven’t scattered him yet and he is returned to you xxx

Sorry for your loss @Pinkwellyboots3 , this must be devastating for you . Aside from complaining so that they implement better procedures moving forward there is not a lot that you can do , aside from getting a refund for the cremation cost . If you have other pets I’d advise that in future you organise your own cremation . We use a lovely crematorium that is about 40 minutes away and are always happy with the service , I usually get them to collect the pet but then go down and collect the ashes myself . They’ve done all of ours from horses down to guinea pigs .

They should send a member of staff to the house of the other person to explain what’s happened. Hopefully they won’t have done anything with the ashes yet, it would be very soon. What an awful experience for you.

This is truly awful op. Unacceptable. What are they doing to rectify this asap. I’m so sorry about your doggie. Let’s just hope that the other family hasn’t scattered as yet

We had our cat cremated a couple of months ago, we looked for services ourselves, and everything went smoothly. My friend had her dog pts a few days later (at a different vets) where they had the business card of the cremation service we used out on display on the desk, so that when my friend said they would like the dog cremated they assumed the vets used the service displayed-how wrong they were. In the end they got the service they paid for, but it took longer, (she was distraught thinking her poor dog had lay in a freezer for a week or so) and there was a stage when they didn't know where the dogs ashes were. She also had to keep ringing to find out when the ashes were actually at the vets and then go and collect them herself.
So I guess my advice for next time would be to research companies (we knew the end was coming for our cat) and contact them yourself, before the event if possible. The company we used were fabulous, they collected him from the vets the same day, he was cremated the day after, they took pawprints and fur, and delivered him back to our house for us.

Im so sorry this has happened to you, I do hope they can get your dogs ashes back for you. I don't know if I would ever trust them again tbh xxx

Can you give more detail about the vet’s response? What have they actually said or done to rectify this?

This is awful. So where are the ashes the other family should have had? Hopefully they haven’t scattered them yet and you can get them back. If they have, hopefully it’s somewhere you can visit.
Do not under any circumstances let them get away with this.

@LouH1981 that’s what I am thinking.

Also, although we had our dog cremated so we could scatter his ashes, we still have them 2 years later as still haven’t summoned up the courage to scatter them. So fingers crossed the other family haven’t scattered them yet

I work at an independent vets and have done for many ,many years thankfully i am not aware that we have ever made this error, of course we are human so the odd error will occur , usually just a misspelling or no label on bag until the member of staff who dealt with the pet rectifies it.
I am truly sorry that this has happened to the op ,but i have replied to say i absolutely know that the whole practice will be mortified and totally beside themselves trying to rectify this.
I sincerely hope there is a happy outcome to your heartbreaking situation.

My Lab’s ashes came with a small card stating his name and the date he was cremated so let’s hope so x

This is awful, OP, I am absolutely heartbroken for you.

So, if I’m understanding correctly there is another family who have also lost their precious pet’s ashes too. They absolutely need to be contacted so that it can be resolved for both of you.
My Lab died in 2024, but we have his ashes in a scatter tube still so there is every chance they haven’t been scattered. In any event though, they have the right to know they are missing their pets ashes too and haven’t said goodbye to the correct pet.
It definitely needs to be reported to a professional body, their duty of care surely must continue whilst the ashes are in their care.

Just to add that when my last boy went three years ago, I called out a designated vet from a specific practice several miles away who came to the house and put him to sleep. Cat was sedated first, spent about half an hour while vet told me the procedure while I stroked and made a big fuss of the cat.

He went so peacefully and it really did bring home how awful the experience was with the previous vets. Vet took him away wrapped in a lovely blanket and in a little bed that he brought with him.

It's not cheap and I actually declined to have his ashes returned to me but the care and very gentle way my cat went was definitely worth it.

They sent me a lovely card and took a print of the cat's paw so I have that in my lounge in a really pretty frame. 💕

Hopefully the other people will notice they have the wrong ashes as surely they will have your dog’s name on something.

I am sorry for the loss of your dog 💐

I had a terrible experience with our dogs ashes as well op. We paid £200 for the box plus cremation charge. They called once ready and told me i could go and collect but just to let me know they had spelt my dogs name wrong on her box. I told them to sort a new box then as I'd paid £200 for that.

2 weeks went by and I heard nothing about them being ready in the new box so I called them to be told someone would call me back that day. I spent a week chasing before they finally admitted loosing the ashes. No refund was offered, I got sick of chasing so stopped asking, then the cheeky shits called me after a month demanding payment for the cremation and box that I'd already paid for and never received! This was 2 years ago and the ashes still haven't turned up. Sounds ridiculous but I feel terrible for my dog who never got to come home and is probably sat on a shelf somewhere.

I really hope you manage to get the ashes back. Its an awful thing to happen. If its a vet in the local community, could you pop a post on a local fb page explaining your situation? Hopefully the family who have ended up with your dog may see it

Oh, I'm so sorry! This is awful. I hope they manage to get them back for you. The loss of a beloved pet is hard enough without this - it's beyond belief that they could have been so careless.

Fingers crossed for you OP. I still haven't scattered my cat's ashes from several years ago. We've had my dad's for a few weeks too. I think it's very likely that the ashes will be returned to you. Shame on the vets though. I would be making a formal complaint.

I hope you get them back. If they've already been scattered I hope it's somewhere lovely you can visit. They might not have been scattered quite yet

I’m so sorry, how appallingly careless of them.

I thought it bad enough when my beloved old dog’s ashes were handed to me with an ultra-chirpy ‘There you go!’
(Evidently a clueless new receptionist who needed some training…)

My very loved dog was cremated 3 and a half years ago and her ashes returned in a scattering tube. However I couldn’t bear to do it and she has stayed in the tube on top of my wardrobe ever since so don’t loose hope xx