The most important thing you can do is find a crematorium you can trust and we encourage you to take whatever steps you need to in order to ensure that the person providing your aftercare will treat your pet with the dignity they deserve. All members of the APPCC started a crematorium because they genuinely care about pets and wanted to provide this important service in their communities. They truly empathise with the pain of losing a pet and know how important it is to get their final journey right.
We all want to know that our pets are being treated with dignity after they have sadly passed away and APPCC members handle all pets they provide a service for with the compassion and respect they would give to their own pets.
This compassionate care is guaranteed by the APPCC code of conduct. APPCC accreditation is our promise to pet owners that they will receive their pet’s true ashes and that their pet will be treated with the respect any beloved family member deserves while in our care. This is our guiding principle and we enforce it fiercely. This sets us aside from other crematoriums which may not be so caring with how they store pets entrusted to them or so meticulous with the ashes given back to owners. These standards are verified by independant inspections to give owners that extra peace of mind.
We do not only offer practical support, but we also strive to provide emotional support to families. Owners who lose a pet need compassion from people who understand the pain of losing the four-legged members of our families. Alongside the respectful handling of pets from the time they arrive into our care until they are returned to you, we will provide as much help and comfort as we can at this difficult time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know I will get my pets true ashes back?
The APPCC formed specifically with these standards in mind, if you are getting ashes back they will be of your pet and only your pet.
How will I know that my pet really will be individually cremated on their own?
Individual cremations are what most families who go to APPCC member crematoriums want and what we aways expect to be asked for unless very clearly indicated otherwise. Unless you specifically opt for a communal cremation, your pet will be individually cremated by themselves and all of their ashes will be returned to you.
Do APPCC members cremate pets together?
Not unless specifically requested to do so by an owner.
Sometimes owners do want more than one pet cremated together, especially when they were a bonded pair that passed away close in time. In these cases, those pets are cremated together in a single chamber and their combined ashes are returned to the owner. The owner will receive the ashes of their pets only.
Some APPCC members also offer a communal cremation service, where pets are cremated side-by-side with the pets from other families. These pets are also treated with the dignity they deserve but the ashes are spread by the crematorium and no ashes are returned to the family.
Do APPCC members truly scatter ashes or dump them into sealed containers?
APPCC members are strictly held to the standards they set out to you. If they state that they scatter the ashes, that is what they must do. If they state that they bury ashes, you can be assured that they are done so in a respectful way, the way we would want our own pets treated. They will not be sealed inside metal waste drums and then buried as you would toxic landfill.
How do I know my pet will be treated kindly?
This compassionate care is guaranteed by the APPCC code of conduct. APPCC accreditation is our promise to pet owners that they will receive their pet’s true ashes and that their pet will be treated with the respect any beloved family member deserves while in a member crematoriums care. This is our guiding principle and we enforce it fiercely. This sets our members aside from other crematoriums which may not be so caring with how they store pets entrusted to them or so meticulous with the ashes given back to owners.
