How Pet Cremation Works, Step by Step

When people call us, they are usually calling on the worst day they have had in a long time. Almost nobody knows what happens after they hang up the phone, and that unknown adds weight to a day that is already heavy.

So here is the whole thing, start to finish. Our family has run its own crematory here in Fort Worth for four generations. Your pet stays in our hands the entire time and is never shipped out to another company. You are welcome to ask us about any part of what follows.

The Short Version

1. You call us, at any hour of any day.
2. We come to your home or your veterinarian's office, or you bring your pet to us.
3. Your pet is given a numbered identification tag that stays with them the whole time.
4. Your pet is cremated, either alone or behind a solid barrier, depending on the service you chose.
5. The ashes are gathered, prepared, and placed in the urn you picked.
6. Your pet comes home, usually in about four days.

Step One: You Call, and We Come for Your Pet

A member of our family answers the phone at every hour, including nights, weekends, and holidays. There is no answering service and no callback queue. If your pet passed at home, we will drive out and pick them up. If your pet passed at the veterinarian's office, we will collect them there instead, and you do not need to be present for that.

You are also welcome to bring your pet to us yourself. Our lobby at 1111 Haltom Road, Suite B in Fort Worth is open Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm. Some families find that drive is part of their goodbye, and we make room for that.

Nothing has to be decided in the first minute of the call. If you do not yet know which service you want, we will hold that question until you are ready.

Step Three: The Cremation Itself

Cremation is not what most people picture. Your pet is placed in a chamber that is brought to a very high temperature, and over time the heat reduces the body to bone mineral. It is a quiet, contained process. There is nothing rough about it.

How long it takes depends mostly on size. A small cat may take about an hour. A large dog can take three hours or more. We do not hurry it, and we do not run pets through back to back to save time.

Every pet we care for is treated the way we would want someone to treat ours.

What Private and Semi-Private Actually Mean

These words get used loosely across the industry, so it is worth being exact about what we mean by them.

• Private cremation means your pet is alone in the chamber from start to finish. The ashes that come home are entirely your pet's. This starts at $220 and is available for pets of every size.
• Semi-private cremation means more than one pet is in the chamber at the same time, with each pet separated by a solid physical barrier for the whole cremation. The ashes returned to you are your pet's own. This starts at $170 for pets up to 15 pounds.

We do not offer communal cremation, where pets are cremated together with no barrier and the ashes are not returned. Every pet who comes into our care goes home to their family.

Step Five: Your Pet Comes Home

Most families have their pet back in about four days. We will call you when your pet is ready. You can pick up in our lobby Monday through Friday, and for many families in the Fort Worth area we can bring your pet back to you instead.

Your pet comes home in the urn you selected. If you chose the premium package, the engraved wood urn, the paw print, and the lock of hair come home together. There is no deadline on what you do next. Some families place the urn on a shelf that same evening. Others let it sit quietly for a season until the right idea arrives.

Questions Families Ask Us Most

• Is there a size limit? No. Private cremation is available for pets of every size, from a hamster to the largest dog. Semi-private is for pets up to 15 pounds.
• Do you cremate animals other than cats and dogs? Yes. Rabbits, birds, reptiles, horses, and pocket pets are all part of families too.
• Can I change my mind about the urn? Yes, up until the ashes are placed. Call us and we will make the change.
• Are the ashes safe to scatter? Yes, though they are high in salt and alkaline. Spread them thin and keep them a little away from young plants.
• What if I cannot afford this right now? Tell us. We accept CareCredit, and we would rather talk it through than have a family feel they have no options.

Why It Matters That We Do This Ourselves

Plenty of businesses will arrange a pet cremation for you and then hand your pet to a third party you never meet. We are not one of them. The crematory is ours, it sits on Haltom Road here in Fort Worth, and you can drive to it. When you have a question, you are talking to the people who did the work.

When you are ready, you can arrange everything online in a few quiet minutes, or call us at (817) 862-7000 at any hour. We serve families all across Fort Worth, Arlington, and the rest of Tarrant County, and we will take good care of your friend.