Continuing the Love for Them (Author: #窮書生)
Matthew, the founder of Pet To Nature, grew up in Hong Kong and studied in Australia. After returning to Hong Kong, he worked in various industries, and for the past decade or so has mainly been in the pet supplies business.
In 2017, his beloved dog passed away, and he arranged a cremation. But the whole process felt very factory-like — he couldn't do more for his dog. The thought of his dog being burned by intense flames was distressing. And within just one or two hours, the dog had turned to ashes, which didn't sit well with him. Realising that other pet owners might feel the same way, he decided to add a more humane touch to this service, helping pet owners handle the remains of their beloved companions. That's how he founded Asia's first company offering aquamation (bio-cremation) services for pets.
Aquamation is very different from cremation — there's no need for the pet to be burned to ashes. Instead, the pet is placed in alkaline water to slowly decompose, like soaking in a spa. Aquamation does not produce methane or greenhouse gases. The remaining bone fragments can be placed in soil as nutrients to nurture plant life, extending the pet's life in a new form (cremation ash has no nutrients). The aquamation liquid retains no DNA and can be used to water plants after filtering.
Matthew understands that many pet owners treat their pets like their own children. So when arranging the farewell ceremony, he discusses everything with the family — what time to hold it (crematoriums don't accommodate family schedules), what kind of bed and blanket to use, what religious rituals to observe, and even using a dedicated vehicle to take the pet and family to places the pet loved during its lifetime. He also provides emotional support to help owners through their grief.
Although the whole process takes much longer than cremation, he believes this is the right way to truly help pet owners. Even when his investors initially suggested offering cremation services — which could handle many cases per day — Matthew insisted on aquamation only, because he values the feelings of pet families over business profits.
His company is the first in Asia to offer this service. As a Hong Konger, we are truly proud of him. We fully support Matthew in running his service with empathy!
We hope more friends will use his service!
Interview date: 28 January 2019
