Hedgehogs, gliders, axolotls and more: cremation in Hazelwood
Keepers of unusual pets in Hazelwood often hear 'we don't do those' first. Here's how to find a yes, what it should cost and what will realistically come home.
- Fridge or freezer advice for Hazelwood
- Written prices for small and large exotics
- Pickup from your home or exotics vet
Hazelwood, Missouri
Who handles exotic species near Hazelwood, and how to reach them
Hazelwood residents are used to jets climbing out of the nearby airport, and many look for calmer ground at neighborhood parks or out toward the open Missouri River bottoms north of town. Those open, quiet places can help when you're ready to reflect. Indoors, a small urn on a dresser, a framed photo in the hallway or a clay paw print on the windowsill keeps a companion close without taking much room.
Hazelwood summers top out close to 90F; January nights settle in the mid-20s. North county summers are humid, and a small house can heat up fast. On a hot day, place your pet on a hard floor in the coolest room, add frozen packs wrapped in cloth, and try to get a provider out before nightfall. In winter, cremation is usually easier than waiting for soft ground.
Rural keepers around Hazelwood often have land, and home burial of a small mammal is common. Bury deep enough that wildlife won't dig, away from wells and streams, and check local rules first. For amphibians, axolotls and anything that lived in water, bury well away from ponds and ditches or choose cremation, because amphibian diseases travel through water to wild populations.
Hazelwood's population is around 24,849, the 30th-largest of the 43 Missouri communities we cover. St. Louis, roughly 16 miles off, is the closest larger centre, and a share of the providers who cover Hazelwood run from there.
Hazelwood sits within easy reach of Florissant (4 miles, a larger centre), Ferguson (6 miles) and St. Charles (6 miles, a larger centre). A provider based in any of them will usually collect from Hazelwood; ask what the mileage adds to the bill.
59.8%[1]
The NFDA projected Missouri's cremation rate at 59.8% for 2024.
9-12 years[2]
Pet sugar gliders live about 9-12 years; adults weigh about 85-170 g.
4-6 years[3]
African pygmy hedgehogs live an average of 4-6 years; adult males weigh 400-600 g and females 300-400 g.
3-5% of body weight[4]
Embrace notes cremated remains typically weigh about 3-5% of the pet's original body weight.
To check the figures yourself, see Embrace Pet Insurance and Merck Veterinary Manual.
How Missouri thinks about cremation
Cremation has grown steadily in Missouri, where about 59.8%[1] of people now choose it, and newer pet providers have opened as demand rose. Smaller, newer operations can be more flexible about unusual species, offering a small-animal tray or an evening drop-off, while long-established ones may simply have seen more. Ask both how many animals under a pound they cremate in a typical month.
The Missouri percentage above is from NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) and refers to human funerals. Treat it as context for Hazelwood, not as a count of pets.
Seasons in Hazelwood and the first hours after a loss
Plan the practical steps around the weather: in hot months, go straight to the vet or crematory with your pet chilled in a cool box; in winter, check the roads before a long drive. A small exotic can wait safely in the freezer through a heatwave or a storm, so you never have to rush a decision because of the forecast.
With seasons as wide as Hazelwood's, keep a small loss kit ready all year: zip-seal bags, a marker, paper towels, gloves and a cool box. In July it saves minutes when minutes matter; in January, February and December it means you're not hunting for supplies during a power cut. Keepers with several animals often tape the vet's out-of-hours number inside the lid.
Budgeting for an exotic pet's cremation in Hazelwood
Crematories price by weight band, and the lowest band usually runs up to 10 or 30 lb, so a 150 gram glider can cost the same as a small cat. Nationally, pets up to 30 lb typically run $45 to $75 for communal and $100 to $175 for private cremation[5]. Hazelwood providers will sit around those figures, more with home collection, a certificate or a special keepsake urn.
We keep the detailed Missouri price table on one page so it stays current: see Missouri prices.
Free tool
Cremation cost calculator
Estimate a realistic price range for your pet's size, location and the type of cremation.
Before you bury or cremate: Missouri rules worth knowing
Pet cremation is lightly regulated in most places, and few laws say what a provider must put in writing. That makes your own paperwork the safeguard. Ask for a signed form naming the species, the weight, individual or communal and what will be returned, and keep it with the certificate. After that, what's left to check in Missouri is where burial and scattering are allowed.
Missouri keeps an official directory of local governments; use it to reach the county or city office that covers Hazelwood.
For Missouri's rules on burying a pet at home or scattering ashes, see the Missouri guide. Local rules in Hazelwood can be stricter than the state's, especially in homeowners' associations and rentals.
What to do next, in order
- For a large exotic kept outdoors, move other animals away first, then walk the enclosure or paddock looking for anything dangerous or any clue to the cause.
- Cover the body and keep it in shade, raised off the ground where possible, somewhere scavengers can't get to it.
- Note the weight and full length, including tail. These decide the chamber size and handling a provider needs.
- Call providers used to giant-breed dogs or livestock first, and ask whether they collect, how many people they send and what access they need.
- Check your paperwork. If your animal was kept on a licence or permit, the conditions may say the issuing body has to be told when it dies.
- Arrange collection or delivery the same or next day, since a large body won't fit a home freezer.
- Ask what will come back. A big animal leaves a full urn's worth, nothing like a glider, so pick a container sized for that.
Remembering your exotic pet in Hazelwood
Hazelwood is a north St. Louis County city just northwest of the airport, about 16 miles from downtown St. Louis. Its neighborhoods range from postwar brick bungalows and mid-century ranches to apartment complexes and newer subdivisions near the Missouri River along the city's northern edge. County-based aftercare providers serve Hazelwood routinely; ask about apartment pickups and how many days until the ashes return.
look through our guides and the blog, or look at how readers voted in our polls, The services page is the place to compare what is included, run the numbers with the free planning tools. Close to Hazelwood we also cover Springfield, Columbia, Independence and St. Louis; the full list for Missouri and for the United States is a click away.
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Free tools to help you plan
Cremation cost calculator
Estimate a realistic price range for your pet's size, location and the type of cremation.
Ashes weight estimator
See roughly how much ash to expect back, by species and body weight.
Aftercare options compared
Compare private, communal and water cremation with burial on cost, timing and what comes home.
Questions people ask
Which nearby towns can I compare with Hazelwood?
The closest communities we cover are Florissant (about 4 miles), Ferguson (about 6 miles) and St. Charles (about 6 miles). Providers based in those places often serve Hazelwood too. Ask each one for a written total that includes collection, so the distance is priced in.
Where are the providers that serve Hazelwood actually based?
Some are local, and some run from St. Louis, about 16 miles away. That is normal for a town this size. What matters is the collection time they quote for Hazelwood and whether the drive is priced into the total, so ask both up front.
Is cremation common in Missouri?
For people, yes: about 59.8%[1] of Missouri deaths end in cremation, according to NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). Nobody publishes the same figure for pets, but in our experience pet choices in Hazelwood follow the human pattern closely, so cremation is the default most families here start from.
When is the hardest time of year to arrange a burial in Hazelwood?
January, February and December: average lows are below freezing then, and frozen ground makes a home grave slow or impossible until it thaws. The other pressure point is July, when highs around 90°F mean a body needs cooling and collecting quickly.
Does pet insurance pay for exotic pet cremation?
Usually not. Most standard policies treat cremation as outside cover, even when they pay for a medically necessary euthanasia[7], and plenty of insurers won't cover exotic species in the first place. A few add-ons pay toward cremation or keepsakes. If you hold an exotic pet policy, look through its end-of-life wording before booking, and keep itemized receipts in case a claim is possible.
Should I wait for better weather to hold a memorial for my exotic pet?
There's no reason to rush. Cremated remains keep indefinitely in a closed container, and a small exotic's body can stay frozen safely for weeks. Many keepers in places with hot summers and freezing winters hold a small gathering in spring or autumn, when it's comfortable to be outside and the ground is workable. Choose a date that feels right, not one the calendar forces on you.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] The NFDA projected Missouri's cremation rate at 59.8% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [2] Pet sugar gliders live about 9-12 years; adults weigh about 85-170 g. Merck Veterinary Manual - Table: Sugar Gliders at a Glance.
- [3] African pygmy hedgehogs live an average of 4-6 years; adult males weigh 400-600 g and females 300-400 g. Merck Veterinary Manual - Overview of Hedgehogs.
- [4] Embrace notes cremated remains typically weigh about 3-5% of the pet's original body weight. Embrace Pet Insurance - Bury or Cremate Your Dog? Costs, Pros & Cons, 2025.
- [5] CareCredit's pet cremation guide lists US communal cremation at $45-$75 and private at $100-$175 for pets up to 30 lb. CareCredit (Synchrony) - How Much Does Pet Cremation Cost? (Sept 2023), 2023.
- [6] Private cremation cost per pound falls with size in the US: roughly $9.2/lb for a 15 lb pet, $4.2/lb at 60 lb and about $4.0/lb at 100 lb. Our estimate: band midpoint price / representative weight: 0-30 lb (midpoint $137.50 / 15 lb) = $9.17/lb; 51-70 lb ($250 / 60 lb) = $4.17/lb; over 90 lb ($400 / ~100 lb) = $4.00/lb. How we calculate.
- [7] Embrace says standard pet insurance typically does not cover cremation, while euthanasia can be covered if medically necessary for a covered condition; cremation is an eligible expense under its optional Wellness Rewards. Embrace Pet Insurance - Bury or Cremate Your Dog? Costs, Pros & Cons, 2025.
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