Frequently asked questions

Pet owners who want a dignified burial for their animal often do not have their own garden where they could bury their beloved pet. In addition, only animals weighing up to 10 kg may be buried in your own garden at a depth of at least 1.2 m, which means that heavier animals are excluded from burial. When an animal is cremated, pet owners are accompanied by the staff of the pet crematorium and comforted in their grief with sincere sympathy. After the individual cremation of an animal, pet owners are free to decide what to do with the ashes. The ashes can be kept at home in an urn or made into a personalised piece of jewellery.

Deceased animals that are not buried or cremated must be taken to the local animal rendering plants. From there, they are transported to the extraction plant for recycling, either to Lyss in the canton of Bern or Bazenheid in the canton of St. Gallen, depending on the distance. The deceased animal is processed there together with slaughterhouse waste into animal fat or animal meal.

The main difference between animal cremation and animal rendering lies in the form of farewell. With animal cremation, pet owners are sensitively accompanied in their grief and can say goodbye to their beloved pet in person and freely decide what to do with the ashes. In animal rendering, no consideration is given to the body of the deceased animal. It is processed together with slaughterhouse waste into animal fat or animal meal.

Small animals, pets and domestic animals, as well as horses and other equines, can be cremated at the ROSENGARTEN pet crematorium in Kirchberg BE or Küssnacht am Rigi.

As soon as an animal dies, its metabolism stops. The decomposition process begins after 24 to 48 hours. Depending on the size of the animal, the decomposition process has a varying effect on the body and appearance of the animal. Dead horses are usually more affected by the decomposition process than smaller animals. It is advisable to cool the animal's body as quickly as possible after its death (below 10°C) and to make a decision about its final resting place.

In addition to the dignified cremation of your horse, ROSENGARTEN pet crematoria also organise respectful collection using specially designed transport trailers.

Once your pet arrives at the ROSENGARTEN pet crematorium, it takes approximately one week to return the ashes, although this also depends on the type of keepsake and urn you choose. If these are not in stock or need to be custom-made, it may take longer. Example: It takes several months to create a diamond from the ashes of your beloved pet.

Cremating a horse takes approximately 8 hours. After cremation, the oven must cool down for the same amount of time before the ashes can be removed.

The cremation order accompanies the animal every step of the way. In Switzerland, each animal is given a numbered firebrick to accompany it on its final journey. This fireproof brick is cremated with the animal and then placed in the urn together with the ashes. By checking this number, we ensure that you receive the ashes of your beloved pet.

At the Swiss ROSENGARTEN pet crematoriums, you can choose between the following types of cremation for small animals and pets:

• Individual cremation

With individual cremation, your beloved pet is cremated alone.

You will receive the ashes of your beloved pet back.

• Cremation by appointment

With individual cremation by appointment, you can accompany your pet and be present at the start of the cremation. Appointment cremations take place exclusively by telephone arrangement. Please note that there is a surcharge of CHF 75.00 for this service.

• Collective cremation

Your beloved pet is cremated together with other animals.

The ashes are buried in our communal grave in Kirchberg BE or Küssnacht am Rigi.

You can visit our communal graves at any time.

Cremation by appointment and the return of ashes are not possible.

We offer individual cremation for horses. Due to the size and weight of the animals and our furnace technology in Switzerland, we do not offer collective cremation for horses.

In addition to individual cremation of pets, we also offer cremation by appointment. Your deceased pet will be carefully laid out in our room of silence, where you can say goodbye to your beloved pet in peace until the cremation. During the symbolic walk across the rainbow bridge, you will be connected to your beloved pet through a viewing window until the very last moment. Your pet will then be cremated and we will hand you the ashes in person on site.

The cost of pet cremation depends on the desired type of cremation and the individual weight of your beloved pet. Additional transport costs will be incurred when your pet is collected. The cost of keepsakes varies, as these depend on your wishes and ideas. Further information is available on the following page.

If you have your own container for your beloved pet's ashes, you are welcome to give it to us or have it brought with your pet.

Many of our pet urns can be personalised with foil stickers. You can also have some of the ashes or fur turned into a unique piece of jewellery. Your pet's paw print is a special keepsake that you can choose for any pet, regardless of the type of cremation you choose.

Burying the ashes in your own garden or scattering them is perfectly legal in Switzerland. Nevertheless, care should be taken to ensure that the material used for the urn is as environmentally friendly and biodegradable as possible.

You can find us in Kirchberg in the canton of Bern or in Küssnacht am Rigi in central Switzerland. It is also worth keeping an eye on our social media channels (Instagram and Facebook).

In a collective cremation, the ashes of your beloved pet are placed in our communal grave. The communal grave is open to the public and can be visited at any time.

Friends and family provide important support in coping with grief over the loss of your beloved pet. People with whom you share similar interests or who have experienced comparable situations also provide a great deal of strength. Virtual pet cemeteries or memorial portals are maintained by a warm community of understanding pet owners who empathise with your pain and offer sincere support.

You are welcome to give your pet small mementos such as a soft toy, flowers, photos, letters or a toy to take with them on their final journey. Please note that for environmental reasons, we cannot cremate baskets, beds, thick blankets or large cushions.

The cremation time depends on the body weight and usually takes between half an hour and two and a half hours for pets and small animals. Once the ashes have cooled, they are ground in an ash mill and then placed in the urn of your choice.

Some pet owners want to share this final moment with their pet and be there when it takes its last journey. To ensure that this special form of farewell can take place in a calm and dignified setting, cremation by appointment must be well planned. This involves time and organisational effort, which is reflected in a price surcharge.

Your pet will be stored in our walk-in refrigerated room at approx. 3°C. This ensures that we comply with legal requirements.v

Yes, you can bring your pet to us outside of our opening hours by making an appointment by telephone. We are here for you 365 days a year. Please note that there is an additional charge for the reception of animals outside of opening hours and on public holidays.

We have a calibrated and regularly checked scale. Your pet is weighed with the items you wish to give them on their final journey (flowers, soft toys, etc.). If you have wrapped your pet in a blanket or placed it in a basket and do not wish to have these items returned to you, they will be weighed together with your pet. This saves you additional disposal costs.

We operate daily from Monday to Saturday morning with vehicles specially equipped for animal transport and our own trained staff. Your beloved animal will be transported to us on the same day it is collected, without being stored temporarily in a cold-storage facility or a third-party location.

No, we collect the animals either from your home or from the veterinary practice using our own vehicles. No other goods or merchandise, such as laboratory samples, are transported.