Fur-ever remembered: 10 things you need to know about pet cremation

Pet cremation gives Filipino pet owners another way to bid farewell and to keep the ashes as a remembrance of the animals they consider part of their family.

Ivy Luneta of Eternal Paw Crematory told ABS-CBN News that the service provides a dignified alternative to traditional burial, giving grieving owners an opportunity to honor and remember their pets even after death.

Here are 10 things you need to know about pet cremation in the Philippines.

There are two types of pet cremation: mass cremation and individual cremation.

• Mass cremation involves cremating multiple pets together in one process. According to Luneta, this option is generally more affordable because several pets are cremated at the same time.
• Individual cremation involves cremating one pet at a time, allowing owners to receive their own pet’s ashes.

At Eternal Paw, the process begins when pet owners inquire about the service and arrange either a facility drop-off or a pickup.

• Upon arrival, each pet is assigned a unique identification number through a tagging system to ensure proper identification and monitoring throughout the process.
• The deceased pet then undergoes post-mortem grooming, which involves cleaning and bathing to prepare it for the final viewing.
• Owners are given 30 minutes to spend with their pets for one last time, similar to a traditional wake. During this period, they may also collect keepsakes such as fur, nails and paw prints.
• After the viewing, the pet is brought to the crematory machine. Owners can witness their pets being placed inside through a designated viewing window.

According to Luneta, the cremation, viewing and collection of ashes can all take place within the same day. Owners may wait for approximately one hour before taking home the remains.

The cost of pet cremation depends on the weight of the deceased animal. Luneta told ABS-CBN News that Eternal Paw’s individual cremation service starts at P5,000 for pets weighing less than a kilo. Pet owners may inquire directly with the crematorium for the applicable rates based on their pets’ weight.

Before accepting a pet for cremation, the crematorium asks owners to provide basic information, including:

• Pet’s name
• Breed
• Type of animal
• Weight
• Number of hours since the pet died

Pet owners are also required to sign the crematorium’s terms and conditions. However, certain restrictions apply to the viewing process. 

According to Luneta, pets that have been deceased for more than 24 hours are no longer eligible for viewing because of the possibility of odor.

Pets that died from leptospirosis may still undergo cremation, but they are not eligible for fur viewing due to hygiene and sanitary considerations. In such cases, the facility performs direct cremation instead.

For Luneta, transparency remains a priority in pet cremation as owners witness the whole process and receive their ashes on the same day.

However, the pets’ remains do not immediately turn into ashes after cremation. Luneta said the bones are first collected, and then pulverized using a grinder to produce the ashes.

One of the concerns among grieving pet owners is whether the ashes they receive truly belong to their deceased companions. Luneta said Eternal Paw addresses this through its identification tagging system, which assigns each pet a unique identification number upon arrival.

The crematorium also allows owners to witness the different stages of the cremation process, from the placement of their pets inside the machine to the handling of their remains afterward.

“I think the assurance there is makikita at mahihintay nila. Wala na ‘yung maghihintay pa sila ng 2 to 3 days. Within the same day, pwede nilang hintayin iyong remains ng pet nila. If they want, they can watch it and wait,” Luneta said to ABS-CBN News.

Pet owners who were victims of fraudulent acts by a pet crematorium may file legal complaints against those responsible. 

According to legal experts, the pet crematorium could face estafa charges under Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code, as well as possible violations of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act and the Code on Sanitation of the Philippines. 

For pet owners who suspect fraudulent practices, authorities advise keeping receipts, cremation certificates, transaction records and other communications with the service provider as these may help support their complaints.

A veterinarian told ABS-CBN News that certain animal diseases can spread to humans through disease transmission and environmental contamination. 

He warned that viral infections commonly found in deceased animals, such as parvovirus and distemper virus, may persist and pose risks of zoonotic transmissions to humans.

Recent incidents in India and Nigeria highlighted the public health risks of improper disposal of animal carcasses near bodies of water and slaughter facilities, with government and medical authorities warning that such practice could contaminate drinking water and expose nearby communities to disease-causing organisms.

Pet owners who opt for burial or cremation should avoid putting their pets’ remains in plastic to allow proper decomposition and minimize contamination, the veterinarian added.

For many pet owners, cremation offers more than a way to handle their pets’ remains. It gives them an opportunity to honor the companionship and unconditional love their animals shared with them.

Luneta said the service allows owners to give their pets a dignified farewell, reflecting the bond they shared until the very end.

“Most members of the management are pet owners as well. Kaya nga, nag-team up kami with an eternal pet crematory because we want to provide a dignified farewell sa ating mga pets,” Luneta said.

“Because they provide us unconditional love. So it’s return na lang din natin sa kanila until the very end.”

While traditional pet burials allow owners to lay their beloved companions to rest in backyards, limited land or outdoor spaces in Metro Manila make this option less accessible.

“Unlike in the provinces, where burying pets in your backyard is more acceptable because their remains naturally decompose and become fertilizer, doing it here [in the metro] is more difficult,” Luneta said.

“It’s really a big problem since proper disposal becomes a problem, as remains may end up being discarded and left along the streets,” she added. 

As an alternative, pet cremation comes in two forms: mass and individual cremation. Eternal Paw Crematory only offers individual cremation services.

Meanwhile, aquamation uses a water-based alkaline hydrolysis to gently decompose a dead body. This process may last up to 24 hours.