Losing a beloved pet is one of the hardest experiences any family can face. After years of companionship, play, and unconditional love, saying goodbye often comes with a series of difficult decisions, including aftercare choices.
How Aquamation Works
Aftercare is one of the most important ways to honor a pet’s life and for decades, most families have been presented with two options: burial or flame-based cremation. But today, there’s another choice: aquamation.
Aquamation, also known as alkaline hydrolysis or water cremation, is a process that uses a combination of warm water, alkaline salts, and gentle circulation to return a pet’s body to its natural elements. Instead of intense fire, aquamation works more like an accelerated version of natural decomposition.
Here’s how it happens:
- Your pet’s body is placed in a stainless steel vessel filled with water and a small amount of alkali.
- The solution is gently heated to a temperature much lower than flame cremation temperatures.
- Over several hours, the soft tissues break down into their simplest organic components.
- What remains are the bone minerals, which are dried and processed into a fine, ash-like powder that is returned to the family, much like traditional cremation.
The water byproduct (often called effluent) is sterile and contains only amino acids, salts, sugars, and nutrients. It is safely released into the wastewater system and treated just like other organic matter.
A More Compassionate Goodbye
Many families choose aquamation because it feels gentler than fire. The lower temperatures, the use of water, and the quiet nature of the process resonate with people who want something more natural and peaceful for their pet’s farewell.
Aquamation also provides more remains back to families compared to flame cremation. Because no burning occurs, the ashes tend to be lighter in color, finer in texture, and greater in volume.
Choosing aftercare for a beloved pet is deeply personal, and no option is right for everyone. But for families seeking something gentler, more natural, and more environmentally friendly, aquamation offers a way to honor a pet’s life with compassion and dignity.
If you live in Southern Nevada and are interested in our aquamation services for your pet, visit our services and process page or call (702) 550-2782 to speak directly with us. We’re here to help you and answer any questions you may have.
Sources
- Cremation Association of North America. “Alkaline Hydrolysis.” https://www.cremationassociation.org/alkalinehydrolysis.html.
- BioResponse Systems (AquamationInfo). Introduction to Alkaline Hydrolysis for Pets, brochure/customer presentation. https://aquamationinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/BRS_Aquamation_Introduction-to-AH-for-Pets.pdf.
- National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health. “Crematoria Emissions and Air Quality Impacts.” NCCEH evidence review, March 2020. https://ncceh.ca/sites/default/files/FINAL_Field%20Inquiry-Crematoria%20emissions%20and%20air%20quality%20impacts_EN_0.pdf.
- Veterinary Sustainability Alliance. “Aquamation.” https://veterinarysustainabilityalliance.org/aquamation/.