During a survey of 2043 dog and/or cat owners, 68% of them had decided to cremate a previous pet. This may indicate that pet cremation is becoming more popular over time. If so, many more pet cremation services will appear soon. This will make it harder for pet owners such as yourself to choose pet cremation services that offer high-quality work.
Luckily, however, there are some tricks you can use to find the right options for cremation providers. Read on to learn about some of these.
Choose the Pet Cremation Process You Want First
Pet cremation services usually have a variety of services that can alter your overall pet cremation experience. They may also offer certain post-cremation services as well. An example includes offering different containers for your pet’s ashes.
You should try to research some of the different cremation options that a pet cremation business can offer. After, you can decide which options you prefer. Then you can find a pet cremation service that offers what you want.
You can learn about some options from a pet cremation process below.
Transportation
Some pet cremation services will transport your pet to the facility. This can be a good idea if you can’t get yourself to the facility easily or you feel too grieved to drive. The service will pick up your pet from your home or a local vet clinic.
Just make sure that the service will handle your pet’s body respectfully. They should have ways of securing your pet’s body during the ride. Their vehicle should also be large enough to carry your animal.
Communal Cremation
This is usually the least expensive pet cremation process. During it, a worker will cremate your pet alongside other animals.
You also won’t receive your pet’s ashes. Instead, the workers will return the ashes of all the animals to nature.
Private Cremation
A private cremation will be more expensive than a communal one. However, caring pet owners will probably find the process worth it. Your pet’s body will be cremated alone and you will receive your pet’s ashes back.
Cremation Jewelry
Some cremation providers will offer jewelry that can hold the ashes of your pet. If you want to keep your pet with you at all times, cremation jewelry is a great way to do this.
Memorial Keepsakes
Pet cremation providers can also provide pet owners with keepsakes that help them remember their pets. These include fur clippings, ceramic paw printings, passing certificates, and more. You’ll likely have to pay a fee on top of the cremation charges for this.
Go Beyond Reading Online Reviews
When most people want to check a business’ quality level, they usually turn to read online reviews. However, there are plenty of other ways you can check the quality of a pet cremation service as well.
Company Lifespan
Check to see how long a company has been in the local area. A long-standing company has likely provided locals with good quality services. If they hadn’t, customers wouldn’t have returned and they would have warned others to stay away.
Local Recommendations
Speaking of which, you can ask other local pet owners for recommendations. Ask them what service they’ve used and how their pet cremation experience went. You can create a list of quality pet cremation companies this way.
Professionalism
Quality pet cremators should know that professionalism attracts customers. They will try as hard as they can to appear professional themselves. They should also make everything associated with their business appear professional as well.
There are a few details in particular that you can check for professionalism.
Their Website
A good company website doesn’t have to be Facebook. However, it should look organized and not have too many glitches.
Their Cleanliness
Do you have time to visit the physical locations of your options for cremation providers? If so, judge how neat and organized the place looks while you’re there. The workers should also be well-groomed and their clothes should be neat.
Their Customer Service
The best quality service should act politely around customers. They should also make sure that they’re able to provide the information that customers need.
Be Careful When Comparing Cremation Costs
It may or may not be a good idea to go for the lowest cremation service price you can find. Yes, it’s hard to resist a good deal. However, pet cremation companies may not have their prices set a certain way for honest reasons.
How do you know if prices are too high or low? You need to research the average prices for pet cremation services in your area.
Check Price Averages
You should be able to find an online calculator that can tell you the average price of pet cremation services in your area. You can use this to determine if a price seems too high or low.
You can also use it to find companies that offer average prices. You should consider this company more than others.
Lower Prices
Companies whose prices seem extremely low may not offer a high-quality pet cremation process. They may hire inexperienced workers or use lower-quality materials for products such as urns so they can offer a lower price. Check to make sure that the lower price doesn’t come with intolerably low-quality work.
Higher Prices
Companies may have a good reason for offering prices that are higher than average. They may be using highly experienced workers and high-quality goods. However, they could also just be ripping you off.
Budgeting
You can also use the average pet cremation service price to make a reasonable budget for the service that you want. Your budget for pet cremation services should be around the average price for your local area.
Ask How They’ll Keep Track of and Store Your Pet’s Body
You should know where your pet will be from start to finish during the services. However, the pet cremation process of some services may make it harder for them to do this.
Third-Party Services
Some pet cremation services don’t do the cremation on-site. They will instead have a contract with a third party. This third party will then perform the cremation.
It’s not a good idea to work with a company that uses a third party. This will make it harder for the original company to keep track of your pet.
Body Storage
The service should have a specialized room where they will store your pet’s body until the workers are ready to bring the pet to the crematorium. It should be cold enough to preserve your pet’s body while he or she waits for cremation. The storage method should also seem respectful to your pet.
Identifying Remains
Pet cremation workers should be able to identify your pet’s remains quickly. They can do this by having a labeling system in place or some other method.
Make sure that your potential pet cremation service does something like this. You shouldn’t need to be worried about being reunited with your pet amid your grieving.
Remains Storage
Along with having an identification method in place for remains, a pet cremation service should also have a dignified way of storing your pet’s remains. If you don’t want to buy an urn, the pet service should have an alternative that will keep your pet’s ashes secure.
Also, make sure that your service will keep the remains for you for a long enough time. It may be difficult for you to find the time to visit the office and pick up the remains. A service should reasonably store your pet’s ashes for two to three days.
Learn About Some of Their Grief Support Services
If you’re struggling with your grief, you may want to choose pet cremation services that can help you grieve. Some businesses will offer ways to make the pet cremation experience easier for grieving pet owners.
Bereavement Support
Some companies will provide information about pet loss support groups in the area. Going to one of these places for some time can help. Talking with someone else about your problems can help you heal.
Private viewings
A private viewing session can help you get some closure before workers cremate your pet. You’re given some time alone with your pet’s body to say goodbye.
Most pet crematoriums offer this service. However, you should check to make sure your potential cremation service offers it if you know you’ll need it. That disappointment can be hard when you are grieving.
Choose Pet Cremation Services That Care
It can be extremely hard to lose a pet. However, taking the time to choose pet cremation services that care can help. You’ll know that you’re giving your pet the respect that he or she deserves.
Are you located in Long Beach, CA? If so, consider using our pet cremation services. We promise to support you in your grieving process and give your beloved pet a dignified cremation.
Get more information by contacting the number near the top of this page.
