11/11/2024
We have been told by some of our clients that the owners of the aquamation unit have been telling people some things about Paws to Remember that are not true. We would like to clarify a few things. After the cremation is done at Paws to Remember, your pet's remains are completely clean. We do not "pick flesh off the bones" as they say we do. We do cremations the same way the human cremations are done - no differently. The cremation process leaves behind clean and dry remains. No flesh is ever left on the bones.
If they give you prices for aquamation vs cremation, please check with us for ACCURATE cremation pricing and details.
The International Association of Pet Cemeteries & Crematories (IAOPCC) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing the standards, ethics, and professionalism of pet cemeteries and crematories around the world. This is what they say: In order for a cremation (or aquamation) to be considered "private", the cremation or aquamation means that only one pet is in the unit at the time it is running, regardless of the size or type of unit used. The owners of the aquamation unit are telling people that the pet aquamation services they provide are done "privately", when in fact the service they are providing is "semi-private". What's the difference? "Semi-private" cremation means that more than one pet is in the unit when it is running, and the pets are divided in a manner that allows the operator to collect each individual remains. Even though your pets are sectioned off in their own compartments, the water moves around and goes throughout the entire unit and throughout all the pet compartments. When the water and chemicals liquify the pets' remains, they all get mixed up together and disposed of together. They aquamate several pets at once. If it was truly a private cremation, your pet alone would be in that unit. This is how a true private cremation is done, and this is how we can offer a private viewing for people who wish to see their pet going into the cremation unit alone for a private cremation.
With aquamation, the green-brown tinted liquid solution byproduct is essentially the liquified organs and tissues of the dead pets. Some people would find the idea of using the liquified byproduct as a fertilizer or sending it down a sewer to be offensive. Yet, the owners of the aquamation unit have said that they would like to use the liquified remains of pets as a fertilizer for their maple trees that they tap every year. Not only is that disgusting, but do they ask permission from pet owners if that is their wishes? We would never use or sell any parts of pet remains to be used as fertilizer or bone meal. Even if you don't want your pet's ashes back, they are still sent to the pet cemetery on St. Joseph Island for a respectful burial. Cremated remains are clean and pose no contamination risk.
We can offer same day cremations, especially for people coming from out of town. This typically takes 3-4 hours vs. aquamation which takes approximately 20 hours of your pet's body being slowly dissolved in water and then even longer for the bones to dry before cremulating is done. They could never offer same day services. We do pet cremations right here at Paws to Remember. Your pet is never sent outside this building, nor outside of Sault Ste. Marie. We are providing local services where your pet's remains are sent back to you in a relatively short period of time and done in a facility that has been inspected and approved by the City and MOE standards. Your pets will always be our number one priority and treated as such.
