What to Do When Your Pet Dies in Japan

Last updated: August 12, 2026

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There are only three things to handle: keep your pet's body cool, choose calmly, and file the paperwork. You do not need to decide on cremation the same day.

  • On the day itself, you only need to handle three things: keeping the body cool, choosing a provider, and paperwork
  • Three ice packs, placed correctly, keep a body cool for 1–2 days in summer — you don't need to decide on cremation that same day
  • Dogs require a death notification within 30 days; cats don't

Body size changes some of this: see the pages for large dogs (roughly 25kg+) and small dogs and cats.

In the moments right after your pet dies, it's easy to feel like you have to decide everything at once with your mind still blank. You don't. This page splits what actually needs doing into three parts — keeping your pet's body cool, choosing calmly, and paperwork — and covers only what's genuinely urgent right now.

What time your pet passed can change what feels most pressing. If it happened in the middle of the night, it's especially easy to feel lost about what to do, so that situation is covered separately below.

1. Keep your pet's body cool

Let your pet rest somewhere cool, still looking like themselves. The steps below are consistent across multiple sources, including veterinarian-supervised guides, as of July 2026 per our research.

Steps for keeping the body cool

  1. Choose a cool, dark spot
  2. Lay down a pet sheet or towel and settle your pet on it
  3. Wrap ice packs in a towel
  4. Apply the wrapped ice packs at three points: the neck, stomach, and hindquarters

Never place ice packs directly against the skin — always wrap them in a towel first.

You don't need everything perfect from the start. As long as you follow these four steps, you can work through them one at a time, at your own pace.

How long you can keep them at home

As a guideline, 1–2 days in summer and 2–3 days in winter. This varies with temperature and your pet's size, so treat it as a rough guide.

Your pet can likely sense this time you're giving them, staying close.

If your pet dies in the middle of the night

If your pet passed late at night or in the early morning, you might feel an urge to call a provider immediately. Some owners find themselves searching on their phone, unable to sleep.

You don't need to.

You don't need to decide anything tonight

If you've followed the steps above, your pet's body will keep fine for 1–2 days even in summer. Rather than forcing a decision tonight, prioritize the time you can still spend by their side.

It may be a sleepless night. Even so, let the hours until morning be time spent quietly with your pet.

Comparing providers in the morning is plenty of time

Late-night searches are also a time when paid ads tend to dominate the results, making it harder to compare fairly. Waiting until morning, once your mind has settled, generally makes it easier to choose something you feel good about.

Night and early-morning requests: check the total first

Our research across nine providers found that some charge a premium for night or early-morning requests. If you do need to request one overnight, make sure to confirm the all-in total, including any such premium. More on this in Choosing a provider.

2. Choose calmly

Once your pet's body is kept cool, you don't have to choose and book a cremation provider the same day. Sleeping on it and comparing options the next morning is still plenty of time.

Pet cremation in Japan falls broadly into three categories — communal, individually-arranged, and attended individual (names vary by provider). See Types of cremation, with termsfor the differences between them.

Besides using a private provider, some municipalities will collect and cremate your pet's body for you. In Tokyo's 23 wards this runs roughly ¥2,600–¥3,100 (seeMunicipal pickup services nationwide). Enter your area and your pet's weight to get a rough estimate for your situation (Estimate your cost).

Under Japan's Waste Management Act, a pet's remains are generally treated as general waste, based on the Ministry of the Environment's interpretive notice and how municipalities apply it — this is an administrative interpretation, not a definitive legal ruling. That said, you remain free to choose how you handle cremation and memorial arrangements.

Whichever route you choose, Choosing a provider covers what to look for in more detail. If you're not sure where to start comparing, one option is a nationwide quote-request service that contacts providers on your behalf. Whatever you use, always confirm the"all-in total, with no add-ons later" before committing. Pet Sougi 110 (ペット葬儀110番) is one example of such a service.Request a quote through Pet Sougi 110

You can also skip the intermediary and contact a mobile cremation provider directly — one that comes to your home in a cremation vehicle. Pet Cremation Happiness (ペット火葬ハピネス) is one nationwide example. Its official site lists only a starting price, not the full total (see ourcomparison of 9 mobile cremation providers). Tell them your pet's weight and the type of cremation you want, and ask for the all-in total before you commit.Request a quote from Pet Cremation Happiness

3. Complete the paperwork

Once you've settled on how to say goodbye, the last step is paperwork. It doesn't have to happen today — once you feel a little more settled is fine. There are deadlines, though, so it's worth getting done before it slips your mind.

For dogs: the death notification (死亡届)

Dogs in Japan are registered with a municipality under the Rabies Prevention Law, so their death also needs to be reported. This step is the one foreign owners most often miss, since it has no equivalent in most other countries. The process:

  1. Check the counter or official site of the municipality where your dog is registered
  2. File the death notification within 30 days of death
  3. At the same time, return the registration tag (鑑札) and rabies vaccination certificate tag (注射済票)

Counters and forms vary by municipality (confirmed via the official sites of Machida City and Osaka City). Check the official site of the municipality where your dog is registered.

For cats

Cats do not require a death notification. The reporting requirement under the Rabies Prevention Law applies only to dogs.

With no paperwork to chase, you can spend that time by your cat's side instead.

If your pet has a registered microchip

Whether it's a dog or a cat, if their microchip is registered, you can also report their death through the Ministry of the Environment's database.

  1. Go to the Ministry of the Environment's "Dog and Cat Microchip Information Registration" site (reg.mc.env.go.jp)
  2. Complete the death notification online
  3. It's free and must be done within 30 days

A dog's municipal death notification and its microchip death notification are separate systems. If your dog is registered for both, you need to complete both.

After that

Once you've reached this point, it's fine to spend the rest of today simply being with your pet.

You don't have to carry either the cooling or the paperwork alone, and you don't have to do it all at once — working through it a little at a time is enough. When you're ready, you might also readstories from other owners who walked this same road.

If you're unsure what to do with the ashes, we've also put togethera guide to keeping ashes at home or choosing a resting place.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to have my pet cremated the same day they die?

No, you don't need to decide the same day. With cooling measures, it's fine to wait 1–2 days in summer or 2–3 days in winter, which gives you time to compare providers calmly starting the next day.

How long can I keep my pet at home in summer?

About 1–2 days is the guideline (2–3 days in winter). Keep them in a cool, dark spot, wrap ice packs in a towel, and place them at three points: the neck, stomach, and hindquarters.

My pet died in the middle of the night — what do I do until morning?

Keep them in a cool, dark spot and use towel-wrapped ice packs at the neck, stomach, and hindquarters. If you can manage that, there's no need to call a cremation provider overnight — comparing options starting in the morning is plenty of time. Late-night searches also tend to surface paid ads first, which makes comparing harder, so waiting until morning may make choosing easier too.

Do I need to file a death notification for a cat too?

No, cats don't require a death notification. The reporting requirement under the Rabies Prevention Law applies only to dogs.

Where do I file a microchip death notification?

Through the Ministry of the Environment's Dog and Cat Microchip Information Registration database (reg.mc.env.go.jp). It's free and can be submitted online within 30 days of death, for both dogs and cats. For dogs, this is separate from the municipal death notification — if your pet is registered for both, you need to complete both.

How much does it cost to have a municipality collect and cremate a pet?

In Tokyo's 23 wards, the range is roughly ¥2,600–¥3,100 depending on conditions (weight, communal cremation, no ashes returned, etc.), as of July 2026 per our research. Check your municipality's pickup fee page for ward-by-ward pricing and conditions.

What are the types of pet cremation?

There are three broad categories: communal (合同, gōdō), where pets are cremated together with others; individually-arranged (個別一任, kobetsu ichinin), where each pet is cremated separately but the provider handles collecting the ashes; and attended individual (立会個別, tachiai kobetsu), where the owner is present through the cremation and collects the ashes themselves.

Where should I place the ice packs?

Wrap ice packs in a towel and place them at three points: the neck, stomach, and hindquarters. Never place them directly against the skin — always wrap them in a towel first.

What about the dog registration tag and rabies vaccination tag?

Return your dog's registration tag (鑑札) and rabies vaccination certificate tag (注射済票) to the municipality where they're registered, together with the death notification. The deadline is within 30 days of death (under the Rabies Prevention Law); the counter and forms vary by municipality, so check your municipality's official site.

Is a pet's body legally treated as waste in Japan?

Under the Ministry of the Environment's interpretive notice and how municipalities apply it, a pet's remains are generally treated as general waste (this is an administrative interpretation, not a definitive legal ruling). That said, owners remain free to choose how they handle cremation and memorial arrangements.

Do providers charge extra for night or early-morning requests?

Some providers charge a premium for night or early-morning requests (based on our research of 9 providers, as of July 2026). Before rushing to book something overnight, it’s worth checking the all-in total including any such premium. See Choosing a provider for more on what to check.

If a municipality collects my pet, do I get the ashes back?

No, municipal pickup generally doesn't include returning ashes. If you want to keep the ashes, you'll need to choose either individually-arranged or attended-individual cremation through a provider. Municipal pickup in Tokyo's 23 wards runs roughly ¥2,600–¥3,100 (as of July 2026, per our research).

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