Memory Gardens For Pets

Losing a pet is awful, but when a business takes your final memories as well it is even more horrifying. I picked my dog’s cremains up on a Saturday. With her remains, I was also given a clay paw print, because the ink prints that I was very insistent upon having didn’t turn out as anticipated (they were smudges of black ink presented to me on glossy photo paper). Upon returning home, and being very upset….I saw in my dog’s paperwork that the actual cremation itself had taken place on Monday of that week and Mr. Myers (the owner) sent me home with a wet clay paw print (still on a paper towel) on Saturday? Being that the timeline didn’t make sense, and other things seemed a little “off”, I had her remains analyzed by another local cremation facility. They noted that the remains seemed odd in color, smell and seemed to be “ground very fine…a little too fine”. I also researched other fees of service in the area and found that Mr. Myers grossly overcharged me; which IF I had received the service I was promised….I would have been okay with, but not now. I called Mr. Myers and gave him an opportunity to explain, as now I am was concerned that I did not have my pet at all. He acted very strange on the phone, got very emotional when I questioned him about my dog and he admitted that he mixed “baby powder and one other powder that people use on babies, he just couldn’t remember which one at the time” in with the ashes because people complain about the color. And he stated that he has a “special process that he uses to grind the ashes unlike any other facility”. He admitted to overcharging me and stated that it was an error. There was no explanation to why my clay was still wet on Saturday when my dog was cremated on Monday other than “he must have used paint from the bottom of the can and it stayed wet for days”. I was told over and over by the owner that “he just doesn’t have good help anymore” and that’s fine, I get it….a lot of businesses are in the same situation. Then DON’T take on anymore animals then you can handle and certainly don’t screw with someone’s memories. At this point in time, do I think I even have my dog’s ashes? No. Please, I urge you to do your research and find someone that will truly show the kindness and compassion that you would expect for YOU and your pet during such an awful time.