Recognizing a potential business opportunity, Deveau and her husband Jerry opened Forget Me Not Pet Cremation in East Kemptville in November 2008.
The couple believe the post-death treatment of departed pets and the provision of tangible keepsakes are a huge comfort to some owners.
The seed for their enterprise sprouted in a stained glass urn. Three years ago, Deveau designed one for the ashes of their infant daughter.
“I thought if I would like to have an urn, maybe other people would like to put their loved ones in urns as well,” she said.
She began advertising the urns for human ashes. The transition to pets was an easy step.
“A lot of people have their pet’s ashes in boxes tucked away somewhere. The urns that we do we like to have them out. People don’t know what’s in it and they don’t need to know,” she said.
When she discovered the closest cremation service for pets was located in Annapolis Valley she began researching the cost of a cremator ($60,000 US). Including the building to house it, the business venture would require $120,000. She estimated it would take 15 animals a month to pay the bills.
In August 2008 she put her business proposal together and approached the Community Business Development Corporation to see if she could get funding. She was approved four months later.
The business has full support from one veterinarian in the region and partial support from two others.
Deveau says she has a special spot in her heart for animals referred to as non-preferred – those whose remains are not claimed. She learned that the bodies of these animals are collected and piled in the back of a truck, then buried in a mass grave.
Recognizing a potential business opportunity, Deveau and her husband Jerry opened Forget Me Not Pet Cremation in East Kemptville in November 2008.
The couple believe the post-death treatment of departed pets and the provision of tangible keepsakes are a huge comfort to some owners.
The seed for their enterprise sprouted in a stained glass urn. Three years ago, Deveau designed one for the ashes of their infant daughter.
“I thought if I would like to have an urn, maybe other people would like to put their loved ones in urns as well,” she said.
She began advertising the urns for human ashes. The transition to pets was an easy step.
“A lot of people have their pet’s ashes in boxes tucked away somewhere. The urns that we do we like to have them out. People don’t know what’s in it and they don’t need to know,” she said.
When she discovered the closest cremation service for pets was located in Annapolis Valley she began researching the cost of a cremator ($60,000 US). Including the building to house it, the business venture would require $120,000. She estimated it would take 15 animals a month to pay the bills.
In August 2008 she put her business proposal together and approached the Community Business Development Corporation to see if she could get funding. She was approved four months later.
The business has full support from one veterinarian in the region and partial support from two others.
Deveau says she has a special spot in her heart for animals referred to as non-preferred – those whose remains are not claimed. She learned that the bodies of these animals are collected and piled in the back of a truck, then buried in a mass grave.
When the nine-ton cremator (furnace) arrived last summer during a rainstorm, it was hoisted down through the top of the building.
The Deveaus were sloshing through two inches of water during the install.
For three months the unit sat waiting for the first burn… but no bodies were available.
“We had to have animals to make sure the machine was running,” said Deveau.
So she went to the vets and collected 600 pounds of non-preferred cats and dogs and processed them in five individual burns. Their ashes are in a large urn in her reception/showroom area.
Empathizing with clients comes naturally to Deveau and she says she spends time with all of her clients on their loss.
She says she’s “quite amazed” at how strongly people feel about their animals.
“The older people, the ones whose children have left home, these animals are their babies. They are precious to them,” she said.
Inside the little office in the building where the cremator is housed, is a thoughtfully decorated alcove with two chairs and a viewing window. Here, owners can watch the processing of their furry friend. A tic-tac-toe game with Scottie game pieces awaits play. There’s also a deck of cards featuring a Weimaraner with pet care and training tips on the reverse.
The seating area has yet to be used. However, reassurance that the ashes each owner is presented with are theirs is usually the first concern addressed.
Clients also wonder about the facility equipment. Will their pet be reduced to ashes in a metal can in the back yard?
Up to 300 pounds can be processed at one time in the cremator, with the machine burning 75 pounds an hour. It takes 20 minutes for the propane-fired unit to warm up to 1,475 degrees Fahrenheit.
Deveau’s marketing mind appears to never rest. Solace comes in many forms at Forget Me Not Pet Cremation.
In addition to three types of urns available at different price points (plastic, stained glass or copper tin), there are also options to have brass ash-holder zipper-pulls, hair from your pet encased in an ornamental keepsake, soul keeper pendants with a paw-print on one side and ashes in the shape of a heart on the reverse, and other memorial items.
Deveau charges .30 cents a kilometer to pick up expired pets and deliver their ashes - generally within a few days. Cremation costs start at $155 for up to 25 pounds.
The business has processed 45 animals since last August and Deveau foresees continued growth.
A survey by American Pet Products Association showed pet spending in 2009 grew 5.4 per cent — to $45.5 billion — even as the rest of the retail world was cratering. Eventually… all pets die.
And it’s not just cats and dogs that go into the cremator. A chinchilla, “this big”, said Deveau, holding out her palms cupped together, was processed recently.
The company is a member of the Better Business Bureau and the Cremation Association of North America, is monitored by the provincial environmental department and has recently been approved for on-site disposal of unwanted pet ashes.
“We want to provide a decent service for a decent price,” said Deveau.
Forget me Not Pet Cremations email address is: [email protected] and the phone number is 902-761-3033.