When a pet dies: a practical list
Hard days broken into tasks: questions for the vet, farewell options, documents, cancelling reminders, talking to children and support for yourself.

[ ] Ask the vet direct questions
    What is happening, what the options are, what each means for the animal, how quality of life is assessed. Write the answers down.
[ ] Take a second person with you
    Listening and deciding at once is hard in that state. A second person remembers what you miss.
[ ] Ask whether you can be present
    It is possible more often than people think, and many later find it mattered. The choice is yours, and both are fine.
[ ] Find out the farewell options in advance
    What is available where you live, what it requires, what it costs. Calls made in advance remove the rush at the worst moment.
[ ] Talk to the children honestly
    Simple words and the chance to say goodbye if they want it. \u201cGone to live in the countryside\u201d always comes out and costs trust.
[ ] Support the other animals at home
    They search, call, change behaviour and appetite. A kept routine and attention help; an immediate replacement does not.
[ ] Cancel what is scheduled
    Food deliveries, the groomer, appointments, subscriptions, calendar reminders. Each of them lands again a week later.
[ ] Deal with the documents and chip record
    The animal's records, chip registration, insurance if there was any. Procedures vary — ask the clinic.
[ ] Keep something to remember them by
    A photograph, the collar, a paw print, a few written-down stories. Almost nobody regrets this; many regret the opposite.
[ ] Do not rush to put their things away
    Bowls, toys, the bed. Put them away when you are ready, not because it is supposedly the right thing.
[ ] Tell the people close to you, and work if needed
    It is a legitimate reason to take a pause. Staying silent about grief makes it heavier, not shorter.
[ ] Do not rush into another animal
    A new pet is not a way to close the pain and not a replacement. Decide when it is about them rather than about your loss.
[ ] Seek support if the weight does not lift
    Family, support groups, a professional. Grief for an animal is real, and asking for help is sensible, not shameful.

Checklist from Unload: https://unloads.me/c/pet-loss