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WEST VALLEY CITY — Sunday was National Pet Memorial Day, an opportunity for animal lovers to remember and celebrate the adorable creatures that have graced their homes in years past.
One local business wants to make the painful process of saying goodbye, just a little easier offering what they say is a gentler, and more environmentally-friendly approach to cremation.
The process is called aquamation, a water-based cremation. It was something Blair Rice knew she wanted to get for her pet Mattie after her health took a turn once she turned 7-year-old.
"She had gone into early-stage renal failure," Rice said.
"She was a superactive, she was a border collie heeler mix," Rice added. "A few days before I knew that we were going to have to let her go, I started looking, and I really wanted something that would honor her memory, too."
Rice searched sustainable approaches in Utah and came across Utah Pet Aquamation in West Valley City . The owner, Meritt Rindard, had a similar story to Rice.
"I lost my dog Trapper to kidney disease, and he was only 6- years-old," Rinard said. "I was planning what to do after his passing, and I knew I wanted aquamation for him. So I started searching for a provider here in the Salt Lake area, and I quickly realized that nobody was offering it."
Starting her own business
Rinard then decided to create her own business about a year ago.
Rinard said there is also another business offering aquamation, unrelated to her, in St. George for pet owners in southern Utah.
"There's two stainless steel cradles or baskets that go into the machine," Rinard said, which she also said can be adjusted to the size of the pet. "Once the pet is placed in the cradle, then alkali is added, which is essentially salts and then warm water also cycles through the machine with the alkali and it breaks down the organic tissue."
Rinard said after 20 hours, only bones remain and once they're dehydrated, turn into ash.
Any pets up to 400 pounds can go through aquamation, a process Rinard said doesn't impact air quality.
"There's no emissions associated with it. It's up to 90% more energy efficient and on average owners are going to get about 20% more ashes back because it's a very gentle process," she said.
And that is something Rice appreciated.
"I'm 35 now. I've had dogs since I was 18, and they've always been there as my constant," she said. "I felt like that was the way that I wanted to go with it. We still think about her all the time."
