Water-Based Pet Cremation

Saying goodbye to your pet

Gentler and Greener Aftercare:
Better for your pet, better for the environment

Stillwaters Veterinary Care is proud to offer water-based cremation - a revolutionary, gentle, eco-friendly water-based cremation process. We offer:

  • Gentle, respectful, personal, non flame-based cremation services for your pet
  • A safe, eco-friendly alternative
  • Costs comparable to conventional pet cremations
  • Licensed, dedicated, and compassionate professionalism

Water-based "cremation" (also known as aquamation, hydrocremation, bio-cremation, green cremation, and flameless cremation) is a newer technology that allows you to receive your pet's "ashes" back by a process that is much more environmentally friendly than flame-based cremation. It utilizes a process called alkaline hydrolysis, which is the same gradual degradation process that happens when your pet is buried but is accelerated with heated water and natural alkali salts. This gentle process results in mineral ash-like powder that can be returned to you. The ashes are finer, more pure, and you receive approximately 20-30% more ashes back than from standard flame-based cremation. The ashes are sterile and are able to be kept as a memento or spread where you would like. The high nutrient mineral content makes it ideal to plant with a memorial tree or bush. The process uses 90% less energy than flame cremation and there are no harmful gasses released into the air. Awareness and demand for this environmentally safe process is growing as a more sustainable and eco-friendly alternative for pet aftercare.

Benefits of Water-Based Cremation:

  • A gentler process
  • More environmentally friendly
  • Uses 90% less energy than traditional pet cremation
  • No harmful gasses released into the air
  • Comparable cost to traditional pet cremation
  • Receive 20-30% more ashes back than traditional pet cremation

View aftercare options }
Learn about in-home euthanasia services }

Options

Saying goodbye to your pet

Prices & Options

Rates for Water-Based Cremation (prices include taxes):

Size of Pet Individual
(return of ashes)
Communal
(no return of ashes)
0-25 lbs $250 $75
26-50 lbs $275 $85
51-75 lbs $300 $100
76-100 lbs $350 $115
101-150 lbs $450 $150
Over 150lbs $550 $200

Private Cremation

Wooden UrnIf you have opted for private cremation, we will personally return your pet home to you in a high-quality wooden urn within approximately 1-3 weeks. You will also receive a certificate of HydroCremation. If you do not wish to have your pet's ashes returned to you, they will be respectfully disposed of according to local laws.

Ashes will be returned in a high-quality wooden urn with the ashes placed in a sealed plastic bag inside the urn. Clients may also provide their own container at no additional fee. Other urn options and other memorabilia and keepsakes can be requested at the time of the service.

Communal Cremation

Communal Cremation provides an affordable alternative to Private Cremation. Ashes will not be returned. They will be respectfully disposed of according to local laws.

Additional Options and Fees

Pick-Up Fee

If your pet passes away at home or at your veterinarian's office and you opt for water based cremation services, there is a pick-up fee of $205 within a 50 mile radius or $305 outside of the radius of our services area.* Unfortunately we are unable to offer any drop-off hours at this time. There is an additional after hours pick-up charge of $75 within 50 miles and $100 beyond 50 miles. (After hours includes Monday through Friday 5pm and later, weekends, and holidays. Aftercare charges are in addition to the cost of the pick-up.

* We serve clients in Onondaga, Cayuga, Cortland, Tompkins, Schuyler, Seneca, Chemung, Tioga and parts of Oswego, Wayne, Yates, Madison, Broome, Ontario, Steuben, Chenango, and Oneida counties. Please contact us to see if we are able to accommodate you if you are beyond our normal radius. We use Google Maps to determine the distance from our location to calculate associated fees. To check the distance for us to get to your home, choose a location below and enter your address in to the starting point to find the distance that will be used to determine the cost of our visit.

Calculate your distance:

In-Home Euthanasia

Saying goodbye to a cherished companion is one of the hardest things we have to do in our lives. We offer compassionate in-home pet euthanasia services. Learn More }

Burial

Burial for your pet is up to your discretion and not a service we provide. View Burial Recommendations }

Payment

Payment is due before or at the time of service unless previously arrangements have been made. Payments can be made by cash, Scratchpay, CareCredit, or credit card. We accept most major credit cards over the phone for pre-payment, or accept most major credit cards, Scratchpay, or cash at the time of service. At this time we are only accepting personal checks in certain situations. There is a $25 returned check fee.

Learn more about financing options & our Compassionate Crossings fund

Learn more about financing options & our Compassionate Crossings fund

Questions?

Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about the water-cremation process and aftercare options.