Giving Departed Pets A Green, Gentle Farewell: South Bay Vets & Pet Owners Opting For An Eco-friendly, Water-based Alternative To Cremation

Up until very recently, handling the remains of a beloved dog or cat has meant cremation -- a process that spews toxic fumes into the atmosphere and requires a considerable amount of energy -- and services often akin to refuse removal operations. Today, pet owners and veterinarians have an entirely preferable way to say goodbye to companion animals.

Westchester Veterinary Center and Gold Coast Mobile Vet (serving beach cities including El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach) are among the first Southern California vets to affiliate with Peaceful Pets Aquamation, the nation’s first 100% green and gentle alternative to cremation. The “pet project” of an award-winning television executive and 20-year Hearst Entertainment veteran Jerry Shevick, Peaceful Pets Aquamation is a “high-tech and high-touch” business poised to shake up the billion dollar pet industry.

Living on a remote ranch in the mountains above Malibu, surrounded by a gaggle of chickens, cats, canines and various random rescued creatures, Shevick was particularly pained by the loss of one of his pets and the animal’s subsequent “disposal” method by the veterinarian. After huddling with a group of the area’s plentiful high-profile pet-lovers and environmentally active residents, spending months researching the somewhat arcane world of pet disposal and meeting with various Southland veterinary organizations, his company was born when he discovered a revolutionary water-based process housed in a machine invented by an unconventional Midwest millionaire.

Peaceful Pets Aquamation uses alkaline hydrolysis, the water-based process that is more like natural decomposition than any other method. It is a safe and widely used method of tissue disposition at many medical and educational facilities including the Mayo Research Clinic, Duke University and UCLA. Using water flow, temperature and alkalinity, it accelerates the process of natural decomposition. Following Aquamation, only the animal’s bones remain in the form of a fine sand.

At Peaceful Pets Aquamation, each step of the process is designed to reassure pet owners that their companion animal’s remains are being handled with dignity and that they have made a choice that is far better for the planet than cremation. From the customized refrigerated van used in transporting pets, the specially trained teams ready to comfort mourning pet owners and an office akin to a sanctuary featuring vivid colorful new age mosaics to the paw-print mementos and biodegradable urns — Shevick plans to revolutionize after-life care for pets.

While Peaceful Pets Aquamation offers higher quality and environmentally-friendly aftercare services, its prices are comparable to traditional cremation services in the Southland. Peaceful Pets has affiliated with a network of veterinarians in Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and Orange Counties to provide services to their clients’ pets. In addition, pet owners can contact Peaceful Pets directly to arrange for aftercare for their animals.

Peaceful Pets Aquamation is located in Newbury Park, CA. For more information, please call 805-410-3880 or visit www.peacefulpetsaquamation.com.