Giving Departed Pets A Green, Gentle Farewell: Area Vets Like Malibu Veterinary Clinic and Malibu Coast Animal Hospital & Pet Owners Are Opting For An Eco-friendly, Water-based Alternative To Pet Cremation

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

Peaceful Pets Aquamation is the nation’s first 100% green and gentle alternative to cremation and the “pet project” of an award-winning television executive and 20-year Hearst Entertainment veteran and Malibu resident, Jerry Shevick. It’s a “high-tech and high-touch” business that Shevick intends to take nationally and shake up the billion dollar pet industry. And vets in the area, like Malibu Veterinary Clinic and Malibu Coast Animal Hospital, are already using the service.

“Aquamation is how I want pets to be treated. We come into the world from water and what’s more natural to leave the world in water?” says Dr. Lisa Newell of Malibu Coast Animal Hospital.

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, a 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 composition. Following Aquamation, only the animal’s bones remain in the form of 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 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 after-care 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.