Pet’s Remains Were Returned in a Trash Bag
If you are considering entrusting your beloved pet to this business, I strongly encourage you to explore the only other aquamation provider in town. Most concerning, I was not provided documentation regarding identification or chain-of-custody procedures, and my beloved’s remains were ultimately returned to me in a black trash bag.
As I write this, my beloved’s remains are sitting in that black trash bag after I entrusted him to this business and patiently waited more than two weeks. That reality is not only heartbreaking, it is unacceptable.
I purchased the Legacy Package because I wanted the highest level of care, communication, and memorialization for my beloved companion. Instead, I experienced poor communication, missed details, a lack of accountability, and ultimately found myself having to restart the memorial process from the beginning.
The night before I had to let my sweetheart go, I received a call from the business at 9:30 p.m. and, under emotional circumstances, made the decision to work with them. During that conversation, I was told I would be able to see him before the aquamation process. However, after pickup, I was discouraged from doing so and informed that memorial selections could be handled over text rather than in person. Looking back, that should have been my first warning sign.
After insisting on meeting, we spent time discussing details that were deeply important to me, including:
• My cultural customs and the importance of knowing whether my beloved could be aquamated within seven days. If that timeline could not be met, I specifically requested that I be informed of the date as soon as possible.
• Memorial design details, particularly incorporating his distinctive spotted nose on the wooden urn.
Despite the importance of these discussions, communication remained poor. The owner explained that she was the sole owner and operator with no staff, so I extended patience and understanding.
At the two-week mark, I still had not received an update and reached out for one myself. I was devastated to learn that the aquamation had already taken place without my knowledge. Not only had I wanted advance notice, but failing to inform me caused me to miss important cultural traditions tied to the timing of the process, an opportunity that can never be recovered.
When I received the memorial proof, it was evident it was rushed. Elements we had already discussed and approved were missing, including my beloved’s full name and the spotted nose engraving. During our meeting, the owner had even joked about putting pets’ “government names” on their urns.
At that point, I no longer had confidence in continuing the memorial process with this business. More than two weeks after entrusting Puccini to their care, I had no completed memorial, had lost the opportunity to observe important cultural customs, had already spent money on a custom engraved lock intended for the memorial box, and was left taking home my sweet baby in a black trash bag.
When I arrived to pick up his remains, the documentation I had requested regarding the aquamation and identification process was not provided. I was simply told that it was not required. There was no apology, no accountability, and no effort to address the concerns I had raised throughout the process. She didn’t even have the courtesy to provide the fur clippings that had been requested were also not provided. Without documentation or identification records and all that has unfolded, I am left not knowing if these ashes are my beloved. We will proceed every remedy available to us.
This business is NOT prepared to provide the level of communication, organization, and professionalism required when caring for a beloved family member. I extended patience, flexibility, and understanding because I recognized this was a small operation. Unfortunately, that patience cost me precious time and opportunities that I can never get back.
This experience was heartbreaking, avoidable, and entirely unacceptable. I cannot recommend this business.
As for the memorial keepsakes offered, higher-quality alternatives can easily be found on Etsy.