I'm writing this so you know what to expect in advance as the Internet is full of contradictory and sometimes alarming information about pet cremations.
I've had a pet cremated before, by a third party outsourcer, when he was put down at the vet's. Since it was a swift decision, everything was handled by the vet and I didn't get a choice of pet cremation vendors. I was never sure whether I really got my pet's remains back. Anyway, when you are grieving, you're just not able to think straight, right?
So, when I had to face another pet funeral, I was prepared. I did a lot of online research to see what pet cremation options Austin had to offer. There are only a handful. The big ones are very corporate and are a multi-state franchise. Then there are some which are mom-and-pop, but they are just a storefront - they outsource the actual cremation work elsewhere (and you don't know where).
Mission Pet Memorials was the only place that didn't get their business from vet clinics - they are "stand-alone" and are part of a licensed funeral home for humans that has been around since 1959. They say they own their own crematory, which they use to handle both human and pet burials. I inquired where it was and drove to the address they provided. I really saw the building. To me, this is as legitimate as I can get in this town, so I was satisfied.
When I knew my pet was weakening, I called their number and was greeted by Michelle. She was incredibly compassionate. We even joked a little as she seemed to know I needed cheering up. She said I can call 24/7 and she'll be there. (Note that if you call after 4.30 pm however there is an extra charge - it's all disclosed on their website).
Finally, that night, my pet passed away peacefully. In the morning I called them again, set up an appointment right away, and brought his body. A staff member of at the (human) funeral home met me at the pet annex next door and handled everything very tactfully, as if I was burying a human relative. Here is what to expect: they will lay your animal on a table, and show you the cardboard box he will go in. They will let you stay as long as you need. Then, you just pay with a credit card and fill in a very brief form with his date of birth, etc.
They pride themselves on a "chain of custody" so that neither your human relative, nor your companion animal, would ever be left alone, or handled by an outsider. I was told the names of all the staff who would be involved in the process, and even, at the end, received a sheet with their names. By the next business day, I was able to pick up his ashes, which was in a tasteful engraved box. Inside, there is a plastic bag with his ashes and a small cloth pouch with a fur clipping (it's not much, so if you want more, you should take a clipping yourself beforehand).
The ashes were dark gray chips. My other pet's ashes (done somewhere else) were pale white, fine like sand. I read that the color has something to do with the temperature of the crematory. I'm not complaining - in fact, I think the dark gray chips look more like the real thing.
When I picked up his ashes, I also received a death certificate, and, separately, a cremation certificate signed by the funeral home director, plus other printouts to help with companion animal loss.
It's a devastating affair, for sure. But what I found most hopeful about this experience is that they took care of my long-time companion animal exactly like a member of my human family, which is the way it should be. For this reason, I am taking the time to post this review in appreciation of their handling. If you are experiencing loss of your companion animal, I'd like to share with you what someone said to me when I lost my first pet. The naturalist Henry Beston said in 1928 about animals: "They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendor and travail of the earth." read more