After the passing of a beloved pet, you have traditionally only had two options for their remains: burial or cremation. With the influx of an environmentally conscious clientele and focus on the environment, many people are seeking out greener alternatives to traditional options for taking care of their beloved pets’ remains. Here at Yadkin Valley Pet Funeral Services, we are able to offer that greener alternative in the form of aquamation. What is aquamation and how does it work? Let’s go over it.
- What is aquamation? Aquamation is a water-based cremation process where the body is immersed in water and treated with a solution that dissolves the body, leaving the skeletal remains soft and easily broken down to return to loved ones.
- What chemicals are used? A mixture of water, sodium-hydroxide, and potassium-hydroxide is used.
- How is it better than cremation or burial? Aquamation is gentle and 100% environmentally friendly, unlike cremation or burial, which can produce greenhouse gases or pollute the groundwater.
- Can I bring my pet’s remains in? Yes, of course. We can also retrieve them from your veterinarian’s office if you prefer.
- How are ashes made with water? The skeletal remains are very soft and crumble into what resembles ashes from cremation. Aquamation “ashes” are not discolored like traditional cremated ashes.
- What makes aquamation a greener process? Because there is no formaldehyde, coffins made from potentially harmful materials, or greenhouse gases emitted from the burning of the remains, aquamation is considerably kinder to the environment.
- How do I know the remains I receive belonged to my pet? At Yadkin Valley Pet Funeral Services, we carefully use a safeguarded tracking system to track the remains of each pet, so we can return them to their proper owners.
- Is it expensive? It is comparable in cost to a traditional cremation, but with far less of a cost to the environment.
- Who can I call with questions? To learn more about the process, please call us at 336-258-8048.