Code of Practice

What are the procedures at Dignity Pet Crematorium?

As a founder member of the APPCC we are committed to adhering to the Code of Practice which clearly defines both the handling and cremation procedures that members must adopt. We have detailed the Code of Practice below.

Our handling and cremation procedures

Collection: Pets will be collected in a pet hearse either the same or next day that we are contacted. Pets will be carefully placed in a Dignity pet bed or stretcher with an ID collar around their neck and a unique ID number attached to their bed for identification. Where more than one pet is transported at the same time they will be carried in the hearse side by side in a respectful manner. To further verify the pet’s identity, a microchip scanner will be used if they are microchipped. This ensures the microchip number matches the one registered with the veterinary practice. Additionally, the microchip may be scanned throughout the procedure to confirm the pet’s identification throughout.

Arrival at the crematorium: Pets will be taken to one of our Cool Rooms to lay in state prior to their individual cremation. Our Cool Rooms are walk-in rooms with shelving around the outside that is kept to approximately 5-7ºC. Pets are laid on the shelving within their bed in a respectful manner.

Personal Belongings: Clients can choose to have blankets, toys and collars either cremated, disposed of or returned to them. We recommend that pet owners keep any carriers, baskets and excess bedding when they bring their pet to us. However, if they are left at Dignity, we will dispose of them or donate them to charity if they are not collected after three weeks of the pet being cremated. We are restricted regarding what we can cremate. When clients discuss their wishes with our team, we will help guide them as to what can be cremated alongside their pet. If clients do choose to have bedding returned to them, they should be aware that we do not have the facilities onsite to wash items for them. We will spray any bedding that has become heavily soiled with antibacterial deodorising spray before sealing the bag we return it to clients in with a warning sticker on the outside. There is still a chance that the bedding could smell but clients can choose to wash the bedding in bacterial washing solution which may remove any odours. A separate team member will check all personal belongings are beside the pet after they have been decided on by the pet owner.

Pre-Cremation Keepsakes: If requested by the Client, pre-cremation keepsakes can be provided. These may include paw prints, fur clippings, and/or a “Heart in the Paw” keyring. Upon receiving such a request, a team member will transfer the pet in their Dignity bed from the cool room to the designated pre-cremation area. The team member will then consult the system to determine the specific keepsakes requested. Throughout this process, the pet will be handled with care. Following the collection of keepsakes, the pet will be returned to the cool room. The keepsakes will then be passed to a separate team member for quality control. Once approved, the pet will be authorised for cremation.

Individual Cremation: Each pet is carefully transferred onto a bespoke stretcher that is used to gently lay them into the cremation chamber. They are lifted from the Dignity bed/stretcher using the cremfilm (white plastic sheeting) that lines every Dignity bed. Whether they are a hamster or a Great Dane, only one pet is cremated in the chamber at a time. A log book is kept by each chamber and the details of the pet (including their name, the owners’ surname, their size, the start time of the cremation and the date) are recorded for every cremation. These details are also inputted digitally into our CRM system.

Clients can request an Attended Cremation Service if they wish to be present when their pet is placed in the chamber.

Removal of cremated remains from the chamber: Once the individual cremation is completed, the cremated remains of the pet are removed into a collection tray. This is done using a hearth rake and then a brush dipped in water to ensure that all the remains are collected. The pet’s unique ID number is attached to the tray for identification and the remains are set aside to cool.

Cremulation: After cooling, the remains are reduced to ash using a special machine known as a cremulator. The cremulator will reduce the cremated remains from recognisable fragments of bones to a fine powder. The inside of the cremulator is carefully swept clean after each use and all the ashes of the pet are sealed in a plastic bag that is placed in a temporary container along with the pet’s unique ID number. The ashes bag is labelled with the pets name, surname and date of cremation, before being placed into a plastic pod.

Preparation: The ashes are then transported to the homing room before they are transferred into the casket or urn that has been chosen by the client. Only one set of ashes is prepared at a time by a team member responsible for homing the ashes. Dried statice flowers will be placed alongside the ashes in the urn or casket, unless otherwise specified by the client. Either one or two Certificates of Authenticity are placed with the ashes, depending on the option chosen by the client.

Checking: Once the ashes have been placed in the casket or urn, another team member double checks that everything has been carried out in accordance with the instructions of the client.

Returning the ashes: The casket or urn is then either collected from Dignity by the pet owner or returned in person by Dignity to the pet owner’s vet practice or home address. Alternatively, if requested, we will return ashes by a fully tracked courier service.

Timescale: We work towards cremating each pet in our care within two days of receiving permission to proceed from the client, and their pet’s ashes will be returned or collected on or after seven working days. Clients can pay an extra charge and have their pet’s ashes back the same day if they wish by choosing our Attended or Same Day cremation service.

Above: example of a Certificate of Authenticity