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Services » Aftercare

Aftercare of Your Beloved Companion

Heaven at home offers several options for the aftercare of your beloved companion, including the services of our new Aftercare Center for Water Cremation and Memorials. Once you are ready for us to take your pet into our care, our veterinarian will gently transfer them to their vehicle and make arrangements for aftercare. You can rest assured that your pet will be treated with compassion and dignity, every step of the way, whichever option you select. We will manage all the details at our Aftercare Center or will work with local flame-based crematorium partners at your option. Local partners offer three types of flame-based cremation services for your pet’s aftercare. One also offers burial services. We can also help you find the perfect way to memorialize your pet’s life story. Our staff is here to help you navigate, and where possible, plan in advance your pet’s final resting place.

The Heaven at Home Aftercare Center

Heaven at Home is expanding its Grand Rapids-based home euthanasia and hospice service to include the final disposition of client pets’ remains. Founder Dr. Laurie Brush wanted to give pet parents who use Heaven at Home services an environmentally-friendly option for water-based cremation. Aquamation is a water-based cremation process that deploys alkaline hydrolysis. It is the same process that occurs as part of nature’s course when a body is laid to rest in the soil. A combination of gentle water flow, temperature, and alkalinity is used to accelerate the breakdown of organic materials. Cremains may be returned to pet parents in a memorial urn, and/or memorialized in jewelry or fine art glass sculptures available through our partners.

Learn More About Our Aftercare Center Services

Download this brochure to learn more about our Aftercare Center Services, including types of Aquamation. Then talk to one of our caring, compassionate team members for help celebrating the life of your beloved companion. (Click on the image to download.)

We’re Here For You

We’ll help you understand your options to give your loyal companion a meaningful memorialization that will help you and your family heal. Our Aftercare Center team can also assist you with pet loss grief counseling referrals, as well as memorial gifts to keep your companion near and dear.

Flame-Based Cremation Options

Private Cremation

As with human cremation, your pet companion is placed alone in the crematorium during the cremation process. Your companion’s cremains are returned to you in a decorative floral tin marked with their name, identification number, and a certificate of cremation, typically in 10-14 days.

Semi-Private Cremation

More than one pet companion is placed in the crematory during the cremation process, and while they are together, they are in separate areas of the crematory and remain segregated throughout the process. As with the private cremation service, our crematorium partners will return your pet’s ashes in a decorative floral tin marked with their name, identification number, and a certificate of cremation, typically in 10-14 days.

Memorial (Communal) Cremation

With a memorial cremation service, several pet companions are cremated at the same time. The cremains are then interred on our vendor’s grounds.

The glass art pictured here is an example of a custom Cremains Glass memorial sculpture available through our vendor partnerships.

 

Burial Options

Our partners also offer onsite burial options in their cultivated gardens setting for those who prefer burial but don’t wish to do so at home. They also offer headstone and memorial markers. They offer the following burial options:

Private Burial – Choosing a site gives you and your family members a place for pet remembrance. Chapel and graveside viewings are available, depending on partner.

Natural Burial – Our partners also offer a community site to come and remember your pet. Your pet is buried without a casket. This is an all-natural burial. These types of areas offer more liberties with site decoration.

Remembering Your Beloved Companion

Pawpals

One way many of our families like to remember their companion is by having our visiting veterinarian take a paw imprint before final disposition. We’ve found Pawpals to be a lovely way to create a keepsake and this is included with our service.

Keepsakes

Additional, cremains-based keepsakes are available through a variety of vendors. Creating these types of keepsakes requires sending a small portion of your pet’s cremains to the vendor for integration into jewelry, glass artwork, and other statuary. We’re growing a collection of resources to refer you to in order to find high-quality keepsakes.

Grief Support for Pet Loss

Learn About the West Michigan Pet Loss Support Group

The West Michigan Pet Loss Support Group meets monthly to share memories and facilitate healing.

Meet Me on the Rainbow Bridge: Coping with Pet Loss

This overview article discusses ways to cope with Pet Loss and gives links to additional books and resources.