Dr. Carney's Blog
As a brand new veterinarian entering small animal practice, I had no concept of the process involved in cremating the beloved pets we euthanized in our clinic. I knew there was paperwork that the front desk staff took care of, and I knew the pet's body was held in the freezer in the rear of the clinic. Clients had the option of private cremation (receiving cremains back) or communal cremation (receiving no cremains). I held the assumption that we were offering this as a service to grieving owners at their time of need. What I didn't understand was the pricing structure for both types of cremation meant that the owners of the practice were making a profit on cremation. I also didn't grasp that not all companies providing cremation services are truly performing "private" cremation. When I hear the word "private", I envision one animal being cremated at a time. How else could you be guaranteed that the ashes in the urn were only those of your pet?
As I have become better educated while starting my housecall practice, I now understand that sometimes "private" cremation involves having more than one animal in the crematory, with the bodies being "segregated." This sounds OK until you realize that at the extreme high temperatures during cremation, there is no way for the remains to stay separate, and some mixing inevitably occurs. This practice troubles me, for two reasons. One, as a pet owner, if I want and pay for a private cremation, then I expect the urn to contain only my pet's remains. Two, as a veterinarian, I have unwittingly misled my clients into believing that they were receiving only their pet's remains in an urn.
Now that I am the owner of my practice, I have the freedom to make the best choices for my clients. I have no desire to be the middle-man, making a profit on cremation. I do have a great desire to offer clients a high quality, honest service. Pet owners deserve to make an informed choice about the disposition of their pet's body. I regret not knowing more about what I was offering clients in the early days of being a veterinarian. I can make up for that by ensuring all my clients know exactly what they are getting when they sign my form.