COMPASSIONATE CARE · THREE THOUGHTFUL PATHS
Afterlife Services
Understand the differences between Traditional Cremation, Aquamation, and Earthmation—and choose the farewell that feels right for your pet and your family.
A choice made with love
Three ways to honor a life well loved
Every pet who enters our care is treated with dignity, respect, and careful identification. The three services differ in the method used and in what is returned to your family.
For families connected through a partnered veterinarian, that provider will arrange afterlife services with Heavenly Paws and collect payment for the full service. You do not need to set up a separate afterlife arrangement with us.
Compare the methods
Choose the care approach that feels right
Each method offers a respectful farewell. The best choice is the one that aligns with your family’s wishes, values, and plans for memorializing your companion.
Heat-based · Familiar
Traditional Cremation
A familiar, time-honored process that uses carefully controlled heat to respectfully reduce your pet’s body to cremated remains. Private, Individual, and Communal care options let you choose the level of separation and whether remains are returned.
Water-based · Flame-free
Aquamation
A gentle, water-based process—also called alkaline hydrolysis—that uses water flow, temperature, and alkalinity instead of flame. It uses less energy than traditional cremation while preparing remains for return.
Aquamation typically produces about 20% more remains than flame-based cremation.
Soil-based · Natural
Earthmation
A natural, soil-based process that gently transforms your pet into nutrient-rich soil over time. Depending on the care option selected, the resulting soil can be prepared for return to your family or cared for communally.
At a glance
The meaningful difference is the method
All three paths are handled with the same compassion. What changes is how the process works, the form of the material returned, and the care choices available within each service.
Traditional Cremation
Method: Carefully controlled heat
Returned: Cremated remains when a return option is selected
Care choices: Private, Individual, or Communal
Aquamation
Method: Water, temperature, and alkalinity
Returned: Approximately 20% more remains than flame cremation
Care choices: Private or Individual
Earthmation
Method: Natural, soil-based transformation
Returned: Nutrient-rich soil with a return option
Care choices: Private or Communal
You do not have to decide alone.
If a partnered veterinarian is helping your family, they will coordinate your afterlife services and payment with Heavenly Paws. For direct afterlife questions, our care team can explain the available options.