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Original poster

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

36 replies

Pinkwellyboots3 · 09/05/2026 08:32

As per the title. I am absolutely furious, heartbroken, so angry.

my beloved dog who was the centre of our family passed away a few weeks ago, after the vet discovering aggressive cancer in 75% of his abdomen.

I trusted the vets, they arranged his cremation. They called me to collect this ashes, when i called back to say I was heading in (2 days later, we had took the children away to distract them as they are heartbroken), they discovered that his ashes had been given to another family.

I have already contacted the vet head office as this isn’t just a mistake, it’s a life that we loved, cared for and cherished for years and years.

God knows what has happened to his ashes now. I feel sick to my stomach.

What can I do to ensure this doesn’t happen again? Who can I contact? I appreciate in this moment I am angry but there is no excuse for the ashes of a living being to be given to someone else.

OP posts:
Sunisgettinganewhaton · 09/05/2026 08:34

Surely they contact the other family? They will want the correct beloved pet back also?
Sorry for your loss op...

Original poster
Pinkwellyboots3 · 09/05/2026 08:34

Sunisgettinganewhaton · 09/05/2026 08:34

Surely they contact the other family? They will want the correct beloved pet back also?
Sorry for your loss op...

The other family collected in a scatter box so this is the main concern they they have been scattered already

OP posts:
EmeraldShamrock000 · 09/05/2026 08:35

Will you get the ashes back? I’m sorry for your loss. It was a massive error, probably not a common mistake.

Original poster
Pinkwellyboots3 · 09/05/2026 08:37

EmeraldShamrock000 · 09/05/2026 08:35

Will you get the ashes back? I’m sorry for your loss. It was a massive error, probably not a common mistake.

I’m unsure right now. They collected their dogs ashes in a scatter box and we obviously don’t know what they have done with them. They tried to contact yesterday.

OP posts:
Pricelessadvice · 09/05/2026 08:38

Ahh I’m sorry to hear this.
Try and think of it as your beloved dog is still with you, but his ashes have gone on an adventure!
Sending love x

Pandolly · 09/05/2026 08:41

No advice but I am so so sorry. As someone who's pets are my world, and who I've had individually cremated many times now, I can only imagine the emotions you're dealing with.

It is completely not on.

The crem i use, I take my pets there myself.
Everything is labelled, and when I collect their ashes, I check everything before leaving.
I don't understand how they've made such a big mistake unless they are not labelling pets and their remains correctly with name, surname and an address to ensure pets with the same names aren't mixed up in the process.

If you reach out locally on FB maybe the family can get in touch and if scattered, will let you know where your little one is now.

Luckydog7 · 09/05/2026 08:45

This is awful, I hope the vets have been appropriately mortified. They should be the ones trying sort this out with urgency!!!

I hope they aren't charging you for this shoddy service!!

There's a decent chance that they haven't scattered the ashes yet. Our family dogs ashes have been taken out to a favourite walking spot usually at a weekend when everyone was together. They won't necessarily do it immediately.

Our cats ashes went on a trip weeks later to be scattered at all the homes he had lived at.

TokyoSushi · 09/05/2026 08:46

Oh how awful. I have had my cats ashes for 18 months and I still cannot bear to scatter them, I know a few people who still have theirs too so there’s definitely a chance that they haven’t been scattered yet.

UnhappyHobbit · 09/05/2026 08:46

Honestly, I’d make the biggest fuss about this. Tell them they need to make contact urgently with this other family. Where are the ashes of their beloved pet? They would also need to be informed. If they have scattered them, it would be nice for you to know where too. This is shocking.

Myblueclematis · 09/05/2026 08:57

I was taking one of my cats to the vet to be PTS, already in tears, the nurse dropped the cat carrier with her in, the PTS experience was so upsetting and when I left and had to pay there and then (previous vet let you go and billed you after). I paid the bill crying my eyes out in a reception area with other people in and included the cremation fee for her ashes to be returned.

I get a phone call a couple of days later to say that she had been accidentally cremated with other pets and so they would not be able to return her ashes to me. They were very apologetic and refunded all my money but to say I was heartbroken at the way my poor cat was handled on her last day and then to not get her ashes back still upsets me even now.

I never went back to them with the next cat, found another vet.

For you💐

Myblueclematis · 09/05/2026 09:09

TokyoSushi · 09/05/2026 08:46

Oh how awful. I have had my cats ashes for 18 months and I still cannot bear to scatter them, I know a few people who still have theirs too so there’s definitely a chance that they haven’t been scattered yet.

I have two little decorated boxes of two of my cats ashes and they are at the back of the fireplace by the log burner.

I've had them there since 2013. I figured that they loved the warmth of the fire in life, they would love it there rather than scattered in the garden. 🐱

WhoInvitedHer · 09/05/2026 09:36

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

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 09/05/2026 09:37

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…)

Original poster
Pinkwellyboots3 · 09/05/2026 09:41

I find it appalling that when I call the vets they have to ask dogs name, address, date of birth etc and to collect ashes they just hand anyone over. I really am so upset

OP posts:
Celandines · 09/05/2026 09:45

Pinkwellyboots3 · 09/05/2026 08:34

The other family collected in a scatter box so this is the main concern they they have been scattered already

Show quote history

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

B1anche · 09/05/2026 09:51

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.

spiderlight · 09/05/2026 09:58

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.

Whowhatwhere21 · 09/05/2026 10:42

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

sittingonabeach · 09/05/2026 10:46

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 💐

Myblueclematis · 09/05/2026 10:53

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. 💕

LouH1981 · 09/05/2026 10:53

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.

LouH1981 · 09/05/2026 10:54

sittingonabeach · 09/05/2026 10:46

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 💐

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

tsmainsqueeze · 09/05/2026 11:02

Luckydog7 · 09/05/2026 08:45

This is awful, I hope the vets have been appropriately mortified. They should be the ones trying sort this out with urgency!!!

I hope they aren't charging you for this shoddy service!!

There's a decent chance that they haven't scattered the ashes yet. Our family dogs ashes have been taken out to a favourite walking spot usually at a weekend when everyone was together. They won't necessarily do it immediately.

Our cats ashes went on a trip weeks later to be scattered at all the homes he had lived at.

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.

sittingonabeach · 09/05/2026 11:08

@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

Emmz1510 · 09/05/2026 14:36

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.