Top things owners want to do for pet funerals: 'Offer flowers' and 'Keep the bones'. What is the new send-off method 'visiting pet cremation'?
A joint survey by NEXER and Japan Animal Memorial reveals that 31.1% of pet owners haven't decided on funeral plans, and 71.6% are unaware of 'visiting pet cremation'.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 23, 2026 at 10:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 24, 2026 at 04:01 (17h 29m after Collected)
■ Approximately 30% of pet owners face the reality of "not having decided on a way to send off" their pets
The casual everyday life spent with pets is irreplaceable for owners. Because of this, many people find it hard to get into the mindset of thinking about the inevitable "farewell."
As pet lifespans increase and their presence as family members grows ever larger, various options for sending them off have emerged. In reality, what kind of feelings do owners harbor?
Therefore, we conducted a survey jointly with the Tokyo-based pet cremation and funeral service 'Japan Animal Memorial', targeting 190 men and women nationwide who answered "I own a pet" in a preliminary survey, asking about their "preferences for pet send-offs and funeral styles."
*When quoting the contents of this press release, please take the following actions:
- State that the source is "A survey by NEXER Inc. and Japan Animal Memorial"
- Provide a link to Japan Animal Memorial (https://j-d-m.jp/)
Survey Overview on "Preferences for pet send-offs and funeral styles"
Survey method: Internet questionnaire
Survey period: March 10 - March 26, 2026
Survey target: Men and women nationwide who answered "I own a pet" in the preliminary survey
Valid responses: 190 samples
Question contents:
Question 1: If your pet passes away, what kind of send-off do you desire?
Question 2: Please tell us the reason. *For "Other", please also specify what kind of send-off you desire.
Question 3: Do you know about the service called "Visiting pet cremation (having them come to your home, and sending them off at home)"?
Question 4: Would you like to use "Visiting pet cremation"?
Question 5: Please tell us the reason.
Question 6: Please select all the things you think you "want to do" for your pet's funeral. (Multiple answers allowed)
*In principle, numbers are rounded to one decimal place, so the total may not equal exactly 100%.
■ 31.1% answered "Have not decided yet"
First, we asked what kind of send-off they desire if their pet passes away.
The most common answer was "Have not decided yet" at 31.1%.
This was followed by "Family attended cremation" at 23.7%, and "Individual cremation and returning the bones" at 21.1%.
Many might sympathize with the result that "Have not decided yet" was the most frequent answer.
When thinking about their beloved dog running around energetically at this very moment, or their beloved cat purring on their lap, preparing for a farewell is psychologically very difficult.
On the other hand, those desiring cremation (attended cremation and individual cremation combined) amounted to 44.8%. It shows that many owners desire a style similar to human funerals out of a wish to "properly watch over them until the end" and "keep their bones close."
We asked for the reasons behind each answer, and here are some of them:
Those who answered "Have not decided yet"
- I cannot bear to think about my dog dying. (Female, 20s)
- I don't really want to think about my cat passing away, so I haven't been able to decide what to do when it happens. (Female, 30s)
- Because I absolutely cannot and do not want to imagine them being gone. (Female, 40s)
Those who answered "Family attended cremation"
- I want to make it an opportunity for gratitude. (Male, 30s)
- Because I want to properly face it. (Female, 40s)
- I want to take care of them as a family until the very end. (Male, 50s)
Those who answered "Individual cremation and returning the bones"
- Because I want to keep them. (Female, 20s)
- Because I want to feel close to them even after they pass away. (Male, 40s)
- Because I expect the same quality as a human's. (Male, 40s)
Words like "cannot think about it" and "do not want to imagine" touch the heart.
Saying goodbye to a pet you are with every day is painful just to imagine. Anyone who has ever owned a pet can likely understand that feeling.
Also, answers like "want to make it an opportunity for gratitude" and "want to properly face it" convey the owners' resolve to properly bid farewell exactly because they are precious family members.
■ 71.6% answered they "Do not know" about visiting pet cremation
Next, we asked about the awareness of the service called "Visiting pet cremation (having them come to your home, and sending them off at home)."
As a result, 71.6% said they "Do not know", and 28.4% said they "Know."
Visiting pet cremation is a service where a dedicated cremation vehicle comes to your home. Surrounded by family in the home the pet is accustomed to...
The casual everyday life spent with pets is irreplaceable for owners. Because of this, many people find it hard to get into the mindset of thinking about the inevitable "farewell."
As pet lifespans increase and their presence as family members grows ever larger, various options for sending them off have emerged. In reality, what kind of feelings do owners harbor?
Therefore, we conducted a survey jointly with the Tokyo-based pet cremation and funeral service 'Japan Animal Memorial', targeting 190 men and women nationwide who answered "I own a pet" in a preliminary survey, asking about their "preferences for pet send-offs and funeral styles."
*When quoting the contents of this press release, please take the following actions:
- State that the source is "A survey by NEXER Inc. and Japan Animal Memorial"
- Provide a link to Japan Animal Memorial (https://j-d-m.jp/)
Survey Overview on "Preferences for pet send-offs and funeral styles"
Survey method: Internet questionnaire
Survey period: March 10 - March 26, 2026
Survey target: Men and women nationwide who answered "I own a pet" in the preliminary survey
Valid responses: 190 samples
Question contents:
Question 1: If your pet passes away, what kind of send-off do you desire?
Question 2: Please tell us the reason. *For "Other", please also specify what kind of send-off you desire.
Question 3: Do you know about the service called "Visiting pet cremation (having them come to your home, and sending them off at home)"?
Question 4: Would you like to use "Visiting pet cremation"?
Question 5: Please tell us the reason.
Question 6: Please select all the things you think you "want to do" for your pet's funeral. (Multiple answers allowed)
*In principle, numbers are rounded to one decimal place, so the total may not equal exactly 100%.
■ 31.1% answered "Have not decided yet"
First, we asked what kind of send-off they desire if their pet passes away.
The most common answer was "Have not decided yet" at 31.1%.
This was followed by "Family attended cremation" at 23.7%, and "Individual cremation and returning the bones" at 21.1%.
Many might sympathize with the result that "Have not decided yet" was the most frequent answer.
When thinking about their beloved dog running around energetically at this very moment, or their beloved cat purring on their lap, preparing for a farewell is psychologically very difficult.
On the other hand, those desiring cremation (attended cremation and individual cremation combined) amounted to 44.8%. It shows that many owners desire a style similar to human funerals out of a wish to "properly watch over them until the end" and "keep their bones close."
We asked for the reasons behind each answer, and here are some of them:
Those who answered "Have not decided yet"
- I cannot bear to think about my dog dying. (Female, 20s)
- I don't really want to think about my cat passing away, so I haven't been able to decide what to do when it happens. (Female, 30s)
- Because I absolutely cannot and do not want to imagine them being gone. (Female, 40s)
Those who answered "Family attended cremation"
- I want to make it an opportunity for gratitude. (Male, 30s)
- Because I want to properly face it. (Female, 40s)
- I want to take care of them as a family until the very end. (Male, 50s)
Those who answered "Individual cremation and returning the bones"
- Because I want to keep them. (Female, 20s)
- Because I want to feel close to them even after they pass away. (Male, 40s)
- Because I expect the same quality as a human's. (Male, 40s)
Words like "cannot think about it" and "do not want to imagine" touch the heart.
Saying goodbye to a pet you are with every day is painful just to imagine. Anyone who has ever owned a pet can likely understand that feeling.
Also, answers like "want to make it an opportunity for gratitude" and "want to properly face it" convey the owners' resolve to properly bid farewell exactly because they are precious family members.
■ 71.6% answered they "Do not know" about visiting pet cremation
Next, we asked about the awareness of the service called "Visiting pet cremation (having them come to your home, and sending them off at home)."
As a result, 71.6% said they "Do not know", and 28.4% said they "Know."
Visiting pet cremation is a service where a dedicated cremation vehicle comes to your home. Surrounded by family in the home the pet is accustomed to...