Q. Can I witness the commencement of the cremation process?
A. Yes. Hartsdale has what is termed a witnessed cremation. What this entails is that the pet holder makes an appointment to be at Hartsdale at a specific time and date. Upon arriving, for their appointment the pet is placed into a temporary casket and the pet holder is able to spend time with the pet in our viewing room. When the pet owner is ready they may then follow the pet to the crematory and witness the pet going into the unit. Then when the cremation process is complete, normally between 1 ½ to 3 hours depending on the size of the pet, the pet holder leaves with the cremains.

Q. How can I be sure that I am getting my own pet's remains back?
A. As indicated above the pet holder can always make arrangements to be at Hartsdale for the cremation. However if the owner cannot be present they can be assured that the staff at Hartsdale takes great care in assuring that the pet owner gets the correct ashes back. They accomplish this by verifying/checking the paperwork that is generated from the specific description, case number if applicable, owners name and pets name. This is done at a minimum of three times and the cremation itself is then witnessed by two of our staff.

Q. What do we do with the cremated remains after the cremation process?
A. The standard method includes the remains being returned in a decorative tin box, however, there are several other options to choose from:

• Encasing the cremated remains in a memorial urn
• Scattering the remains in the memorial flower garden on the cemetery grounds or elsewhere
• Burial of the remains in a plot at the cemetery