Witnessed Cremations

Witnessed cremations

If you would like to witness your pet’s cremation, please note:

  1. This service is available for private flame cremations or partitioned water cremations. Witnessed cremations are not available for communal cremations.
  2. A reservation is required with at least 24-hour advanced notice.
  3. There is a fee for witnessed cremations. (See Additional Products & Services.)
  4. Payment for a witnessed cremation is required in advance — at time of scheduling.

Please note:  Witnessed Cremation and Same-Day Service are two distinct services. Same-Day Service is only available for flame cremation and is not assumed. You must request Same-Day Service in advance and pay the additional fees (Same-Day Service).  Otherwise, your pet’s after-care package will be ready for pick up within 3-business-days.

What is a witnessed cremation?

Radiant Heart offers several options for witnessing a cremation:

1.  Basic Witnessed Cremation: Available for private flame cremations or partitioned water cremations. You may spend up to 30 minutes in the Reflection Room with your pet prior to cremation. You will be present in the Care Center when we place your pet into the crematorium, close the crematorium and turn on the equipment.

For flame cremations:  Once the equipment is started, then for your safety we will ask you to move back into the Reflection Room.  The door from the Reflection Room to the Care Center will remain open for you to see the crematorium for 10 – 15 minutes (until the control stack has reached 1800 F and the primary chamber flame turns on — this is when cremation actually begins).

2.  Witnessed Creation of Memorials:  If you bring your pet’s body with you on the day of cremation and you would like us to create memorials for you (clay prints, ink prints, fur clippings, etc.) then you are welcome to be present for the creation of any memorials, and there will be an additional fee,

3. Witnessed Removal or Grinding of Cremains:  (This option is available for flame cremations with same-day service.) If you would like to be present when your pet’s cremains are removed from the crematorium and/or when they are ground and placed into your pet’s urn, there will be an additional fee.

Video Witnessed Cremation:  One or more of the options noted above can be recorded and then posted to a temporary private web page for you to see.

Why would someone want to witness their pet’s cremation?

Some pet parents choose to witness their pet’s cremation in order to feel 100% certain that their pet was indeed the only pet in the crematorium (flame cremation) or the only pet in their partitioned section (water cremation). Other pet parents witness their pet’s cremation out of a sense of obligation to stay by their pet’s side to the very end.

If you can’t be present, but still want to witness the cremation, then for a fee we will video tape the cremation.