COVID-19

Update 27th July 2020

With things changing all the time we thought we’d post a quick reminder of some of the changes we have made here at Dignity:

Same Day & Attended services are now available
The grounds are closed with the exception of scattering & interring ashes
We have more collection appointments available each day
Ashes can be returned to your vet
All Dignity buildings are still closed, including toilet facilities

We’ve created a series of infographics to help explain how each new procedure works, click the below links to read more.

Update 6th July 2020

We are now able to offer more collection appointments each day. As our Farewell Rooms & Gardens of Remembrance are still closed these appointments are limited to a maximum of 5 minutes per client. Please contact a member of the team on 01252 844572 to book an appointment.

What-to-expect-infographic-collecting-ashes-1-288x288 COVID-19

As we cannot allow anyone to enter the building or gardens at Dignity, this means that no toilet facilities are available to clients.

Update 19th June 2020

From Monday 22nd June we will be able to offer a small number of Attended Cremation Services each day. Please see below our procedures to ensure we can offer these safely for our clients and colleagues.

Appointments for attended services are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Attended services will take place in the morning only. If you are late for your appointment you will need to re-book.
Signs will be posted outside directing which door to go to. Ring the bell and step behind the line to await a member of staff. Only two people are permitted at each Attended cremation service
Prior to arriving at Dignity please make sure our team have all of your details, options and you have made payment in full via credit or debit card. We are not currently accepting cash payments.
As we don’t know how long the virus can live on different surfaces, we cannot take any bedding, carriers or toys. We can pick a flower from our Gardens or print a photograph to place with your pet instead.
Staff will be wearing personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves and aprons. We are also following social distancing guidelines so please keep a minimum of 2 metres distance from staff.
We are operating contact-free ashes returns. Ashes will be brought out and placed on a table outside the door for collection. Due to limited appointments we cannot guarantee a collection appointment on the same day.

What-to-expect-infographic-Attended-288x288 COVID-19

Update 18th May 2020

dignity-front-432x252 COVID-19

From today (Monday 18th May) we will be opening up a limited number of appointments each day for clients to come and collect their pet’s ashes from Dignity. If you or anyone else in your household currently has symptoms of Coronavirus we ask that you please do not visit Dignity.

Appointments must be made in advance via telephone. We will be allocating 8 appointments each day on a first come first served basis.
Full payment must be made in advance of collecting ashes.
Follow the signs to the relevant door (ashes collection to the left and bringing pets in to the right) and ring the doorbell.
Your pet’s ashes will be placed on a table for you to collect.
If you miss your appointment you will need to re-book for another day.

If you have any questions please call 01252 844572.

What-to-expect-infographic-collecting-ashes-288x288 COVID-19

Update 11th May 2020

We are monitoring the government announcements and will continue to adapt our services accordingly, at this time we have not made any changes to the below procedures. We ask that you please follow the temporary measures we have put into place to keep everyone safe, and treat our staff with respect as they are working extremely hard to allow us to continue to provide these services. Thank you.

What-to-expect-visiting-small-288x288 COVID-19 What-to-expect-return-ashes-small-288x288 COVID-19

Update 6th May 2020

Click here to see an infographic explaining what to expect when having ashes returned by Dignity during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Update 30th April 2020

Click here to see an infographic explaining what to expect when visiting Dignity during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Update 20th April 2020

As the virus can live on some surfaces for up to 4 days, we are taking precautions when it comes to pet fur. Along with our usual measures, the team will be wearing full length protective aprons, gloves and face masks when handling any pets at Dignity.

Update 1st April 2020

As of today we have decided to no longer offer our extended opening hours on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Our current opening hours are below and we will continue to review these going forward. If we are closed you can leave a message on our phone line and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.

Monday-Friday: 9am-5.30pm

Saturday: 9am-2pm

Sunday: Closed

Bank Holidays: Closed

Update 25th March 2020

We ask that if you or anyone you have come into contact with is showing symptoms that you do not visit Dignity at this time.

Making Arrangements

We will be taking as many details as possible during the initial call to reduce physical contact with clients, this includes urn and keepsake options as well as payment details.
No more than two people should be in attendance when coming to Dignity.
We will take payment over the phone via credit or debit card; we are no longer able to accept cash payments. Payment must be made in advance; we will not be taking any payments in person at Dignity.
We will ask for your vehicle registration over the phone to help the team see you as quickly as possible once you arrive.
Same Day cremation services are available on a first come first served basis and are subject to availability. You will no longer be able to collect your pet’s ashes at Dignity – we will deliver these to you via our drivers the next working day as long as there are no shortages of drivers. For returns over an hour away from Dignity we will return these via courier as soon as possible subject to the availability of the service.
Attended cremation services are not available at this time. However, we will be able to provide a video of your pet’s cremation service upon request – please contact us for further details.

Bringing Your Pet to Dignity

If you have any symptoms or have been in contact with someone that does, we ask that you do not visit Dignity – we can collect your pet from your vets instead (at an additional cost).
Upon arrival at Dignity we ask that you ring the bell and return to your car to await a member of our team, or call 01252 844572. Do not enter the building. A staff member will guide you to our car port to collect your pet from your vehicle via the side entrance.
Sadly, we are not able to offer you time in our Farewell Rooms at the moment to say goodbye, please say your final farewell at home before you travel to us.
We may ask you to wash your hands and use the hand sanitiser provided, and keep a 2-metre distance.
We are no longer able to accept any bedding or personal effects here at Dignity as the virus can live on some surfaces for up to 3 days. This includes beds, baskets, carriers, towels, blankets and toys. We will carefully place your pet into a Dignity bed that has been cleaned and disinfected.

Temporary outdoor farewell room.

Collecting Ashes from Dignity

We are no longer allowing clients to visit Dignity to collect their ashes. Many vets are now open for emergencies only, so to avoid burdening them at this time we would prefer to return your ashes to your home, either by one of our drivers or via courier.

If you choose to have your pet’s ashes delivered to your home by one of our drivers, we will be waiving the normal fee of £25, you will only need to pay the mileage charge (£1.25 per mile).
If you live further than an hour from Dignity, we can arrange to have your pet’s ashes returned via courier, the charge for this is £20.
Please note that at this time we cannot commit to a set timescale for returning your pet’s ashes at the moment.

Home Collections

We are no longer arranging home collections unless absolutely necessary; this means only for those at high risk who are unable to leave their house to visit their vets.
Drivers will be wearing PPE such as gloves and face masks where necessary and have hand sanitiser available in their vehicles.
We will not be lifting with clients in order to maintain the 2-metre distance, two people may be required subject to the weight of the pet (at an additional cost). Alternatively, clients can carry their pet to our hearse as long as the 2-metre distance is observed.
If we require you to lift or carry, we will provide you with disposable gloves.

Visiting Dignity

If you are planning to visit the Natural Woodlands or Gardens of Remembrance, we kindly ask that you delay this until further notice.
If your pet’s ashes are at Dignity, we will keep them safely with us until we can receive you in to inter them.

Keepsakes & Memorials

You can still order keepsakes and memorials, however our delivery timescales may be extended as some of our suppliers offices are now closed or limited.
Keepsakes and memorials can be ordered over the telephone or via our online shop.

Please click here for a PDF version of the updated advice as of 25th March 2020.

Update 24th March 2020

We ask that if you or anyone you have come into contact with is showing symptoms that you do not visit Dignity at this time.

Making Arrangements

We will be taking as many details as possible during the initial call to reduce physical contact with clients, this includes urn and keepsake options as well as payment details.
No more than two people should be in attendance when coming to Dignity.
We will take payment over the phone via credit or debit card; we are no longer able to accept cash payments. Payment must be made in advance; we will not be taking any payments in person at Dignity.
We will ask for your vehicle registration over the phone to help reduce the number of people entering the building.
Same Day cremation services are available on a first come first served basis and are subject to availability.
Attended cremation services are not available at this time. However, we will be able to provide a video of your pet’s cremation service upon request – please contact us for further details.

Bringing Your Pet to Dignity

If you have any symptoms or have been in contact with someone that does, we ask that you do not visit Dignity – we can collect your pet from your vets instead (at an additional cost).
Upon arrival at Dignity we ask that you ring the bell and return to your car to await a member of our team, or call 01252 844572. Do not enter the building. A staff member will guide you to our car port to collect your pet from your vehicle via the side entrance.
Sadly, we are not able to offer you time in our Farewell Rooms at the moment to say goodbye, please say your final farewell at home before you travel to us.
We may ask you to wash your hands and use the hand sanitiser provided, and keep a 2-metre distance.
We are no longer able to accept any bedding or personal effects here at Dignity as the virus can live on some surfaces for up to 3 days. This includes beds, baskets, carriers, towels, blankets and toys. We will carefully place your pet into a Dignity bed that has been cleaned and disinfected.

Collecting Ashes from Dignity

To reduce the number of people visiting Dignity at this time, we would prefer to return your pet’s ashes to your vet (at an additional cost).
Upon arrival at Dignity we ask that you ring the bell and return to your car to await a member of our team who will bring the ashes out to you.
If you are self-isolating and unable to leave your home, we can arrange to have your ashes returned to you via courier (at an additional cost), alternatively we can store your pet’s ashes here at Dignity until further notice.

Home Collections

We are no longer arranging home collections unless absolutely necessary; this means only for those at high risk who are unable to leave their house to visit their vets.
Drivers will be wearing PPE such as gloves and face masks where necessary and have hand sanitiser available in their vehicles.
If we require you to help lift or carry, we will provide you with disposable gloves.

Visiting Dignity

If you are planning to visit the Natural Woodlands or Gardens of Remembrance, we kindly ask that you delay this until further notice.
If your pet’s ashes are at Dignity, we will keep them safely with us until we can receive you in to inter them.

Please click here for a PDF version of the updated advice as of 24th March 2020.

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Update 20th March 2020

Attended Cremations

To protect staff we have taken the decision to withdraw our attended cremation service for the time being. For people wanting to see their pet placed into our chamber we are offering a video of the service with two options;

Option 1. We will send you a video of your pet entering the chamber – you won’t see them inside the chamber but will hear us saying our committal.

Option 2. We will send you a video showing your pet both entering and inside the chamber as we say our committal. Due to the heat involved you may see some smoke and/or flame when they are inside the chamber so please think carefully before choosing this option.

The video will be sent to you via WhatsApp, Messenger or WeTransfer shortly after their cremation commences. The cost will be £50 instead of the usual £60 Attended Cremation Fee and you will still normally receive their ashes back later the same day. These videos are offered for personal use only and we ask that you do not share them publicly or on social media.

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Update 19^th March 2020

Following the most recent government announcement regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) we want to update everyone on what we are doing to help prevent the spread, whilst also maintaining our service and proactively reducing the risk of infection to our staff & clients. The key message is that we are still open but we are putting in place some precautionary measures. During this time of uncertainty, we can’t predict to what extent our service will be affected, but be assured that we will do our utmost to continue to deliver a responsive service to you all.

We ask that if you or anyone you have come into contact with is showing symptoms that you do not visit Dignity at this time. In line with government guidance we are also observing social distancing advice and regretfully won’t be able to have any physical contact with you and will be keeping a 2-metre distance wherever possible.

Making Arrangements

We will be taking as many details as possible during the initial call to reduce physical contact with clients.
No more than two people should be in attendance to say goodbye to your pet.
We would prefer payment via credit or debit card rather than cash at this time.
Attended cremation services are not available at this time. However, we will be able to provide a video of your pet’s cremation service upon request – please contact us for further details.
Same Day cremation services are still available on a first come first served basis and are subject to availability.
Our operating hours may be affected, please call to confirm with us.

Bringing Your Pet to Dignity

If you have any symptoms or have been in contact with someone that does, we ask that you do not visit Dignity – we can collect your pet from your vets instead (at an additional cost).
Upon arrival at Dignity we ask that you ring the bell and return to your car to await a member of our team, or call 01252 844572.
When entering Dignity, we will ask that you please wash your hands and use the hand sanitiser provided, and keep a 2-metre distance.

Collecting Ashes from Dignity

To reduce the number of people visiting Dignity at this time, we would prefer to return your pet’s ashes to your vet (at an additional cost).
Upon arrival at Dignity we ask that you ring the bell and return to your car to await a member of our team who will bring the ashes out to you.
If you are self-isolating and unable to leave your home, we can arrange to have your ashes returned to you via courier (at an additional cost).

Home Collections

We will be unable to collect your pet from your home if you or anyone in your house currently have any symptoms, or have been in contact with someone who has symptoms.
Entering your home is at the driver’s discretion, but we will work with you to find the best solution for example leaving your pet in an outbuilding or carrying them to the car yourself.
Drivers will be wearing gloves and face masks where necessary and have hand sanitiser available in their vehicles.
The driver will come to your door but please note that they will keep a 2-metre distance and avoid direct contact.

Visiting Dignity

If you are planning to visit the Natural Woodlands or Gardens of Remembrance, we kindly ask that you delay this until further notice.
If your pet’s ashes are at Dignity, we will keep them safely with us until we can receive you in to inter them.

You can help us by ensuring that you frequently cleaning your hands using hand sanitiser and soap & water. Follow the below NHS advice regarding hygiene:

wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
always wash your hands when you get home or into work
use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
cover mouth & nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards

You can find more information online here https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

We are grateful for your continued support and co-operation at this time. We will continue to update our procedures as the advice changes as we may need to bring in further restrictions as the situation develops.

If you have any questions or concerns please call us on 01252 844572.

Kevin & the Dignity Team

Please click here for a PDF copy of the above information.