Pet owners treat their beloved companions as family. We hope every owner can say goodbye peacefully, accompanying their pets on their final journey with care and love.
On Chung Yeung Festival, besides ancestors, we may also use this occasion to remember our departed pets. Hong Kong 01 interviewed Pet To Nature — Asia's first company to offer aquamation farewell services for pets. Founder Mathew explained that the biggest difference between aquamation and traditional cremation is that the decomposition process is slower, allowing pet owners to more peacefully accept the reality of loss.
The Farewell Process Should Not Be Rushed
Mathew told Hong Kong 01 that he had been running a pet supplies company for about 10 years, and after his own dog passed away, he was inspired to enter the pet farewell service industry: "I always felt that using cremation to say goodbye to a person or pet is too fast. People have two weeks to prepare a coffin and funeral. If we always say our pets are our children, why should we rush to send them away?"
For the aquamation process, Mathew explained that the pet's remains are collected within three hours of passing, then washed, disinfected, and refrigerated: "After completing these steps, I'll discuss with the owner whether they'd like to include any burial items. We'll also have a pet groomer tidy up the pet's appearance so they can complete their final journey looking their best."
One procedure similar to cremation is that owners can press a button through a glass door to send their pet along a conveyor belt into the aquamation machine.
Expanding Aquamation Services Globally
Pricing for aquamation and cremation is calculated similarly — by the pet's weight. Pets under 5kg are charged a flat rate of HK$1,800, with an additional HK$500 for every 5kg. Once an owner confirms the service, a driver will arrive within 3 hours to collect the pet, then weigh, clean, and refrigerate the remains until the owner arranges a farewell date.
Mathew noted that aquamation services have become increasingly popular in Hong Kong: "From having almost no business at the start to nearly doubling our growth now, I'm very confident that aquamation will replace cremation and burial in Hong Kong and worldwide. Pet To Nature will also expand to Taiwan, the Philippines, and Singapore, so more people can access this service."
The above text and images are from Hong Kong 01's report.
