We painfully weather the passing of a beloved pet or animal companion, and the grim task of disposing of the remains makes the ordeal even more unpleasant. Grief has to be interrupted for mundane concerns of a nature very few of us plan for ahead of time. A gone-to-Glory goldfish can be flushed, but what about a dead cat? And what if the problem is larger; say, an elephant or the carcass of a rotting whale?

These stories are about attempts — both successful and otherwise — to be rid of the corpse of a deceased animal. Perhaps the humor found in them reflects our unease at the thought of having to deal with anything dead.

The Oregon Department of Transportation blew up a dead whale.

Dead pet shipped by air is replaced with live animal by baggage handlers.*

Family mistakenly returns neighbor's dead rabbit to its cage.*

Thief steals shopping bag containing dead cat.*

Cats and rats were once fed to each other in a fur-harvesting business.

Woman pens hilarious account of family's efforts to rescue trapped cat from garbage disposal.

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