Pet euthanasia and cremation costs
By Richard Barker, editor. Last checked 16 October 2026.
Saying goodbye to a pet is hard, and costs are often discussed at a difficult moment. Knowing the options beforehand can help.
Communal and individual cremation
- Communal cremation: your pet is cremated with other animals and the ashes are not returned. The CMA found it is two to five times cheaper than individual cremation.
- Individual cremation: your pet is cremated alone and the ashes are returned to you, usually in a container you choose.
You can choose your own crematorium
You do not have to use the crematorium your vet uses. Practices must set out communal cremation, individual cremation, using a separate crematorium and burial at home with equal prominence, and give prices in writing. This applies at large groups from 23 December 2026 and at smaller practices from 23 March 2027. Some large groups own crematoria.
Official figures for individual cremation
The table below shows what the CMA found people were charged for individual cremation. These are the CMA's figures from its investigation, not current prices at any particular practice.
Individual cremation: retail prices found by the CMA (including VAT)
Scroll sideways to see every column.
| Provider | All dogs | Small dogs | Medium dogs | Large dogs | Extra-large dogs | Cats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large groupsaverage of each group's median price | £249.47 | £214.37 | £234.23 | £272.11 | £313.30 | £186.87 |
| Independent practicesmedian, sample of 51 practices | £153.36 | – | – | – | – | £127.80 |
| Independent crematoriapublished prices, 21 websites | – | £182.50 | £208.50 | £240.00 | £275.00 | £160.00 |
Sources
- Appendix K: Cremations pricing, mark-ups and costs, Competition and Markets Authority, 24 March 2026.
- Veterinary Services Market Investigation Order 2026, Competition and Markets Authority, 22 September 2026.
- Veterinary services for household pets: summary of final report, Competition and Markets Authority, 24 March 2026.
CMA documents are Crown copyright and used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.