Remi was cremated, a process Ms Parrett thought was "the appropriate way to go".

"I just have a belief it helps release the soul quickly," she said.

"Remi was a great loss to my life; she was my appendage, really, and my best friend. After 15 years, not to have her there was very, very difficult."

Remi, a golden labrador, died two years ago. Like a growing number of family pets, the Calwell dog was cremated in a personalised service, including a private cremation wrapped in her favourite blanket.

"For me, it was critical in the whole grieving process," Ms Parrett said.

"I didn't want to bury her because if I moved she wouldn't be with me; if I have her in the urn she goes where I go."

Canberra's Louise Foldi runs animal cremation service Paw Bearers, collecting deceased animals from homes across Canberra and cremating them in Queanbeyan.

She said demand for a goodbye more akin to a human's was growing as pets became members of the family and owners became more transient.

"Pets are our fur babies of the future. A lot of people aren't having children and are buying pets instead," she said.

"I'm dealing with young children and parents who have grown up all their lives with the family pet and the family pet's passed away and nobody really knows what to do."

"I've done wombats, kangaroos, snakes, lizards, fish, rats, mice, native birds that children rescue and the bird's died," Ms Foldi said.

"We also do a private cremation where usually, the owner comes out with flowers and things and places them on the table and says their goodbyes. They can go off for a couple of hours and have a coffee and come back and pick up the remains."

But it was more than just a cremation, with many owners adding special requests.

"I've got a little dog here [at my home] that has a suitcase and it's taking its suitcase to Rainbow Bridge," she said.

"The suitcase is full of blankets and food and treats and pigs' ears and toys and balls. That's what the owner wants."

Ms Foldi, who travels with her whippet, Ty, often meets older animals before they're put down. Sometimes she helps the owner say good-bye, or just stays for a cup of tea.

"I did a pick-up the other day that took me 5 and a half hours, the lady just could not let go of her dog, so I sat down with her and we drank tea and we talked until she was able to let that pet go," Ms Foldi said.

In Calwell, Ms Parrett now lives with 3-year-old labrador Barney, but there's a special place for Remi – in her heart and her home.

"There's a corner in the loungeroom where Remi would sit on her mat, I just couldn't bear to put anything in that spot. I've put her urn next to it with some candles and a picture of her. That's Remi's corner."