Water-Based Pet Cremation in Toronto, ON

At Midtown Mobile Veterinary Hospice Services (MMVHS), we have been dedicated to providing compassionate geriatric and end-of-life care for your loved pets, all in the comfort and privacy of your home, since 2012. Our ultimate goal has always been to care for pets throughout the entire end-of-life journey. As such, we are now pleased to be able to offer aquamation, or water-based pet cremation, through our sister company Faithful Pet Memorial.

Aquamation: A Greener Alternative for Pet Aftercare

What is aquamation?

Aquamation is a gentle, eco-friendly process that uses water instead of fire for pet cremation. Water, temperature, and salts are used to reduce the body to bone, just as flame-based cremation would. Although the technique has been around since 1888, it has become increasingly popular in recent years as concern for the environment grows.

Why is aquamation considered a greener alternative to flame-based pet cremation?

In comparison to flame-based cremation, 90% less energy is used during the process, with 1/10th of the carbon footprint. In addition, no fossil fuels are burned and no harmful greenhouse gases or mercury are released into the atmosphere. Believe it or not, the aquamation, or water-based pet cremation, process uses less water than a single household uses in an entire day.

Our Services

Private Aquamation

With our private aquamation option, your pet is gently and respectfully placed into their own private basket within the aquamation vessel. The barriers between the baskets maintain the purity of your pet’s cremated remains, ensuring you receive only your pet’s ashes back.

Included with this option is your choice of one of our standard urns, along with a memorial candle, a memorial stone, and a personalized certificate of aquamation to confirm your pet was privately aquamated with Faithful Pet Memorial. Additional memorial items (i.e. keepsake clay pawprints, ink pawprints, fur or whisker clippings, etc.) are available upon request, at an additional cost.

Communal Aquamation

With our communal aquamation option, your pet’s cremated remains will not be returned to you. Your pet will be gently placed together in the vessel with other pets whose families have chosen this option and their remains will be processed together.

A small amount of cremated remains from each communal aquamation will be placed in a special memorial urn within our centre, which you and your family are welcome to visit by appointment only. The remainder of the communally cremated remains will be respectfully scattered in Lake Ontario at the beautiful Prince of Wales park in Etobicoke.

Memorial items (i.e. keepsake clay pawprints, ink pawprints, fur or whisker clippings, etc.) are available upon request, at an additional cost.

Memorial Items

Faithful Pet Memorial is pleased to offer a carefully curated selection of keepsake memorial items, such as clay pawprints, ink pawprints, fur clippings and more. Each of these items is handcrafted in-house by our dedicated aftercare team, allowing us to create personalized tributes to your beloved pet.

Viewing and Visitation Service

This service, available for an additional fee, includes the following:

Preparation of your pet prior to your arrival to ensure they look their absolute best for your final goodbye
1 hour visitation with your pet in our Comfort Room, prior to Aquamation
Ability to witness your pet being placed into the Aquamation Machine from a safe distance
Priority Aquamation - return of cremated remains (ashes) within 24-48 business hours* (pick-up from our Aquamation Centre). Note: custom ordered memorial items may affect turnaround time.
*Does not include home delivery option

Personal Aquamation Viewing and Visitation Service

This service, available for an additional fee, includes the following:

Preparation of your pet prior to your arrival to ensure they look their absolute best for your final goodbye
1 hour visitation with your pet in our Comfort Room, prior to Aquamation
Reservation of the Aquamation machine for only your pet
Ability to witness your pet being placed into the Aquamation Machine from a safe distance
Priority Aquamation - return of cremated remains (ashes) within 24-48 business hours* (pick-up from our Aquamation Centre). Note: custom ordered memorial items may affect turnaround time.
*Does not include home delivery option
Premium memorial package including:
- Paws of Remembrance - clay pawprint impression
- Framed Ink Print (paw or nose)
- Fur Clipping in a display case

More About Our Comfort Room

Saying goodbye is one of the most difficult tasks a pet owner is faced with. The ability to be present with your pet right before aquamation often provides pet owners with the comfort, reassurance and closure they need to help them along during their grieving process. Our team welcomes you and your family with open arms to our Comfort Room at 181 Weston Road in Toronto to give your pet the final loving send off they deserve.

Our viewing and visitation services are available by appointment only, and can be scheduled in the mornings, Tuesday through Thursday only.

We encourage you to send digital images of your pet ahead of time to info@faithfulpetmemorial.ca so we can prepare our Comfort Room for your pet’s special service. You are welcome to bring any flowers, hand-written letters, or organic food (treats) that you wish to accompany your beloved pet in the aquamation machine. Inorganic material is not permitted inside the aquamation machine - this includes blankets, toys, clothing, collars, jewelry, beds etc.

If there are any other requests to help you and your family, please let our aftercare team know and we will do our best to make any further special arrangements.

Aquamation FAQs

Can I still receive my pet’s ashes?

Yes. Water-based pet cremation reduces the body to bone, just as flame-based cremation would. In fact, you will actually receive 20% more ash than from a traditional flame-based cremation. If private aquamation is requested, the bones will be dried, reduced to ash and can then be returned to you in an urn of your choice at the end of the process. Urns can be picked up during regular business hours from Faithful Pet Memorial or we can arrange for urns to be delivered directly to your home for an additional fee.

How do I know I will receive my pet’s ashes?

This is understandably one of the most common concerns amongst pet owners, and we take it very seriously at Faithful Pet Memorial. From the moment your beloved pet enters our care, they are assigned a unique identification number that will stay with them throughout the aftercare journey. If private aquamation is requested, your pet will be placed in an individual basket within the vessel along with the unique stainless steel token that identifies your pet in our industry-specific tracking software. This token remains with your pet throughout the aquamation process and will be returned to you, along with the cremated remains (or “ashes”) in an urn at the end of the process.

What if I don’t want my pet’s ashes back?

Can toys and/or blankets be aquamated with my pet?

With aquamation, only 100% organic items can be included in the vessel (special food, treats, flowers, etc) because inorganic items will not be reduced during the process. If you want to include a special toy or blanket, a piece of it can be inserted into the urn afterwards if private aquamation is selected. Note: Flame-based crematories are no longer allowing personal belongings to be cremated with the pet to try to minimize their carbon output.

How does the price of aquamation compare with flame-based cremation?

What if I would prefer traditional flame-based cremation for my pet? Is this still an option if my pet is euthanized at home through MMVHS?

My pet passed away naturally at home. Can I still use Faithful Pet Memorial for aftercare?

I still have questions about Faithful Pet Memorial and/or aquamation. Who should I contact?

Other Aftercare Options

Home Burial

If you are looking to complete a home burial (subject to municipal by-laws in your area), but the seasonal timing of your pet’s passing does not allow for this, Faithful Pet Memorial can safely hold your pet’s body during the colder months until burial is possible. Our secure on-site holding space gives you and your family peace of mind knowing that your pet is being respectfully cared for until final arrangements can be made. This service is available for pets up to 25 lbs. Holding fees are charged on a monthly basis and paid for in advance. Please contact us at 416-767-3572 or email us at info@faithfulpetmemorial.ca for further information.

Flame Based Cremation

While Faithful Pet Memorial does not offer flame based cremations at our centre directly, we are closely affiliated with Gateway Pet Memorial, and can arrange for a private or communal flame based cremation for your beloved pet. Please contact us at 416-767-3572 or email us at info@faithfulpetmemorial.ca for further information.

Special Requests

If you have alternate special arrangements for your pet’s aftercare that are not listed above and you require assistance, please feel free to contact our professional and experienced aftercare team, who would be honoured to help you and your family during this difficult time. Please contact us at 416-767-3572 or email us at info@faithfulpetmemorial.ca for further information.