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Where Loss Meets Love: Inside the World of Pet Cremation
7 Plays5 months ago
This episode of The Glam Reaper Podcast is split into two parts - Jennifer Muldowney sits down with Sydney Tracy, a former elementary school teacher who now runs a pet cremation business in Arizona.
Paw Prints on Woodland, a pet cremation facility inspired by her grandfather’s legacy, had Sydney returning to her hometown with a heart-centered mission to support grieving pet owners.
Jennifer and Sydney are together (Glam Reaper in the Wild Series!) at the annual conference of IAOPCC (International Association Of Pet Cemeteries & Crematories) and during this episode they dive into what defines her work, and the emotional journey behind every service.
Sydney shares her insights on different types of grief—preemptive, sudden, and traumatic—highlighting the importance of patience and gentle support. Together, they remind us that healing isn’t about replacing lost loved ones but creating space for new love while cherishing old memories.
Catch this episode for a deep dive into the types of grief and the healing process when saying goodbye to a beloved pet.
Key Topics:
-Meet Sydney and her journey into the world of pet cremation
-From teacher to comforter in times of loss
-How compassion and strength create a safe space for grieving pet owners
-Navigating the different types of grief and finding healing after loss
-Sydney’s heartfelt vision to grow her business and help more families
Quotes from the episode:
“I don't believe in coincidences. I believe that there is a reason for everything that happens.”
-Sydney Tracy
“I don't think that any adult goes through life or gets to the end of their life without multiple scars on their heart”
-Jennifer Muldowney
Timestamp:
[00:00] Podcast Intro
[00:52] Sydney opens up about her unexpected path into pet cremation, drawing from her background in teaching and life experiences.
[10:11] Jennifer and Sydney share a conversation on the emotional journey of pet loss.
[14:57] They reflect on how adopting pets isn’t about replacement but rather about making space in one’s heart for more love.
[17:01] Sydney shares her dreams of growing her pet cremation business and creating a space that truly meets her clients’ needs.
[20:22] Sydney thoughtfully weighs the benefits of fire cremation versus aquamation, considering what’s best for her clients and business.
[26:18] Jennifer and Sydney explore how client needs, location, and new methods of aftercare shape the future of their services.
[28:05] Outro
Connect with Sydney Tracy:
Website - https://pawprintsonwoodland.com/about
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sydney.r.tracy/?locale=ms_MY
Connect with Jennifer/The Glam Reaper on socials at:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jennifermuldowney/
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@therealglamreaper
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@TheGlamReaperMuldowney
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermuldowney/
Facebook Page - Memorials
https://www.facebook.com/Mu
Recommended
Transcript
Understanding Grief and Healing
00:00:00
Speaker
It's okay for you to be sad.
00:00:02
Speaker
It's okay for you to feel grief.
00:00:04
Speaker
It's okay for you to be upset and angry and to go through all of these emotions because otherwise you're not going to heal.
Introduction to Jennifer and Sydney
00:00:23
Speaker
Hi everybody and welcome to the Glam Reaper podcast.
00:00:27
Speaker
The Glam Reaper is in the wild.
00:00:28
Speaker
Once again we went for Central Park and now we're in Boston.
00:00:31
Speaker
Are we in downtown Boston?
00:00:32
Speaker
I think we're in downtown.
00:00:33
Speaker
Yes it's the theatre district.
00:00:35
Speaker
Theatre district.
00:00:36
Speaker
And I am your host the Glam Reaper Jennifer Muldowney and with me, so I'm here at the IAPCC.
00:00:44
Speaker
I think I'm getting that probably wrong.
00:00:45
Speaker
Anyway it's an international pet convention.
00:00:47
Speaker
I'll leave some details.
00:00:48
Speaker
Very exciting convention.
00:00:49
Speaker
We'll touch on that a bit later.
00:00:51
Speaker
But I have one of my dear friends, Sydney, here with me.
00:00:54
Speaker
And she owns a... A pet cremation facility.
00:00:57
Speaker
Yes.
00:00:58
Speaker
We are going to get into it.
00:00:58
Speaker
Okay.
00:00:59
Speaker
So if you're... Now, we just lost our dog earlier this year.
00:01:02
Speaker
So this has been a difficult, you know, difficult convention.
00:01:06
Speaker
But I think it's a really important topic for us to talk about.
00:01:07
Speaker
We've already talked about pet loss on this podcast.
00:01:10
Speaker
So tell me... Well, first of all, how long have you been in business?
00:01:14
Speaker
So I've been open four years.
00:01:16
Speaker
I had no experience in the funeral industry.
00:01:19
Speaker
Like I just jumped in head first.
00:01:20
Speaker
Like I have a teaching degree in elementary ed.
Sydney's Career Journey and Family Influence
00:01:25
Speaker
So not anything that I thought I would be into, but here we are four years and.
00:01:31
Speaker
Well made you.
00:01:32
Speaker
So the building that I'm in, this is make a long story short.
00:01:36
Speaker
It's okay.
00:01:37
Speaker
We love a long story.
00:01:38
Speaker
Yes.
00:01:39
Speaker
So my facility is in Arizona.
00:01:42
Speaker
I was born and raised in the town that my facility is in, but I did take a hiatus to Utah and it was just time for a change.
00:01:51
Speaker
We'd been there.
00:01:52
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My husband had started in his career and it was just time for something different.
00:01:56
Speaker
Somehow we ended up back in my small town, which was not what was our initial plan, but you know, the Lord has plans for us all.
00:02:03
Speaker
I mean, just things, I don't believe in coincidences.
00:02:06
Speaker
I believe that there's a reason for everything that happens.
00:02:09
Speaker
Yeah.
00:02:09
Speaker
Whatever that reason might be, whether we, and I honestly believe sometimes that reason presents itself immediately.
00:02:15
Speaker
And sometimes it doesn't present itself until five years down the road.
00:02:18
Speaker
And you just don't know what that reason is until it shows itself.
00:02:21
Speaker
So we ended up back in our small town.
00:02:23
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And so my grandfather has been there for many, many years since the sixties.
Sydney's Approach to Pet Cremation Business
00:02:28
Speaker
And he has an industrial park.
00:02:30
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My building is in that industrial park.
00:02:33
Speaker
It was empty.
00:02:33
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He felt like there needed to be a cremation facility for pets.
00:02:38
Speaker
where someone could come out.
00:02:39
Speaker
He did.
00:02:39
Speaker
He did.
00:02:40
Speaker
It was all him.
00:02:41
Speaker
And I was a stay-at-home mom.
00:02:43
Speaker
And he was like, you know, I'm thinking about this, but he didn't want anything to do with it.
00:02:48
Speaker
He's more of an entrepreneur.
00:02:50
Speaker
He wanted to start it.
00:02:51
Speaker
He wanted something in that building.
00:02:53
Speaker
You know, it was driving him crazy.
00:02:55
Speaker
And so that's, that's where we are.
00:02:58
Speaker
So he made the investment for the equipment and like,
00:03:02
Speaker
You know, and then I just took it from there.
00:03:04
Speaker
I mean, he's had, he's not had anything to do with the business, you know, he bounces ideas off of, you know.
00:03:09
Speaker
So he did, he was like, this is the idea.
00:03:12
Speaker
This is the space you're going to do.
00:03:14
Speaker
Yeah.
00:03:14
Speaker
He felt like it would do well.
00:03:15
Speaker
And it was basically like, okay, you're going to do it.
00:03:17
Speaker
Yeah.
00:03:18
Speaker
And you're, I mean, you are, I've, I've known you for, has it been a year?
00:03:21
Speaker
No, it's only like six, seven months, I think.
00:03:23
Speaker
Cause it was.
00:03:24
Speaker
April.
00:03:24
Speaker
Yeah.
00:03:26
Speaker
We're fast friends.
00:03:27
Speaker
Yeah.
00:03:28
Speaker
You can probably tell by the vibes.
00:03:30
Speaker
Yeah.
00:03:31
Speaker
So, I mean, you're like the perfect person as far as I'm concerned for this kind of.
00:03:35
Speaker
It's so funny that you say that because I would have never thought that.
00:03:38
Speaker
Not that I'm not a compassionate person, but I've not ever, I, prior to this, I hadn't had that experience with someone who's really distraught with someone who's really grieving, someone who's upset.
00:03:49
Speaker
Uh, but anyways, continue.
Types and Effects of Grief
00:03:50
Speaker
But I feel like it's interesting that you say that because I feel like you have the perfect, like, and I'm not going to compliment myself by saying this, but like often, like when I've been looking for assistance and stuff, I feel like I've either found somebody like super emotional or very logical.
00:04:05
Speaker
Sure.
00:04:05
Speaker
And it's really hard to find that mix of the two, which I have.
00:04:08
Speaker
It's probably the schizo Gemini in me.
00:04:09
Speaker
Yeah.
00:04:10
Speaker
Don't tell anybody.
00:04:11
Speaker
But I feel like I see that with you.
00:04:13
Speaker
Like you are logical.
00:04:14
Speaker
I can see you as being a planner, but like you have that compassion.
00:04:17
Speaker
And it's probably, I mean, from being a teacher, you know, that background, does that help, do you think?
00:04:22
Speaker
I mean, I think it's a combination of a lot of things.
00:04:25
Speaker
Yeah.
00:04:25
Speaker
You know, having a husband who's a police officer, you know, and being able to be compassionate.
00:04:29
Speaker
That helps if you get any rowdy people at the crematorium.
00:04:32
Speaker
Yeah, he's able to just come in.
00:04:34
Speaker
Yeah.
00:04:34
Speaker
You know, or if we have to get rid of, you know, a body or something.
00:04:38
Speaker
Yeah.
00:04:38
Speaker
Yeah.
00:04:39
Speaker
We'll cut that out.
00:04:40
Speaker
But like, remember the example that the guy gave yesterday about like how he had to call the police to.
00:04:45
Speaker
Yes.
00:04:45
Speaker
I mean, when you're talking about something like grief, it's extremely high emotions.
00:04:50
Speaker
And some people have really good coping skills and some people don't.
00:04:53
Speaker
Yeah.
00:04:53
Speaker
And yes, I do think being a teacher, you know, and I think some of this is my personality.
00:04:58
Speaker
Yeah.
00:04:58
Speaker
It's just, you have a calming who I am, you know?
00:05:01
Speaker
And like I said, I would have never thought, however, people will say to me, I don't know how you do this.
00:05:06
Speaker
I don't know how you do this.
00:05:07
Speaker
Like I couldn't do this job.
00:05:09
Speaker
And it's so interesting because I, I, it's just myself.
00:05:12
Speaker
I don't have any employees.
Coping with Loss and Finding Fulfillment
00:05:14
Speaker
I do have someone who watches a business from time to time, but she's not a regular employee.
00:05:18
Speaker
So she watched my business when I came in April and we met in Florida at
00:05:21
Speaker
And she's watching my business now, you know, so she only comes in for like a week at a time.
00:05:25
Speaker
And yeah, sporadic.
00:05:26
Speaker
Yeah.
00:05:27
Speaker
Year.
00:05:28
Speaker
She she's not a regular.
00:05:29
Speaker
It's usually just myself.
00:05:31
Speaker
And the reason that is, is because trying to find someone who can be compassionate in the lobby with someone, someone who's crying, someone who's upset.
00:05:40
Speaker
Someone who's had a traumatic grief.
00:05:42
Speaker
I compartmentalize grief into boxes.
00:05:46
Speaker
I think there's preemptive grief.
00:05:49
Speaker
When you, let's say your pet has cancer or they're sick and you know it's coming.
00:05:54
Speaker
Yeah.
00:05:54
Speaker
It doesn't get you the same, but you're still incredibly devastated by the loss.
00:05:59
Speaker
Then you have sudden grief.
00:06:01
Speaker
Your pet just passed away unexpectedly.
00:06:03
Speaker
No idea they had cancer and you had to put them down because there was nothing you could do for them.
00:06:08
Speaker
You know, or your pet runs away, unfortunately, and you can't find them, you know, and you just have the sudden loss.
00:06:14
Speaker
And then there's traumatic rate where your pet is hit by a car or something horrific really happens.
00:06:21
Speaker
Your pet jumps out of the vehicle, say they're in the back of a truck where we live.
00:06:25
Speaker
That's a perfect example of something happens to them.
00:06:28
Speaker
And then you have this, all of a sudden you've had this trauma and you've lost your pet.
00:06:32
Speaker
Yeah.
00:06:33
Speaker
It's not just like I had a trauma, but we were able to save our pet.
00:06:36
Speaker
It's I had a trauma and now I'm grieving.
00:06:38
Speaker
Yeah.
00:06:38
Speaker
And so people say, I don't know how you do this, but I, I love being able to give someone back their pet.
00:06:46
Speaker
And we were just talking to a friend at lunch about the word closure and how that's not really a thing when you're talking about grief.
00:06:54
Speaker
And I agree.
00:06:55
Speaker
I think you become better at coping with your new normal.
00:06:59
Speaker
Yeah.
00:06:59
Speaker
Because when people say, oh, time, time, I don't get better with time.
00:07:02
Speaker
It's like, no, you get better at coping with the normal.
00:07:06
Speaker
Because, and I always tell clients this, I had a friend that lost a child.
00:07:10
Speaker
She was older, but she passed away in her sleep.
00:07:12
Speaker
And it was really sudden.
00:07:13
Speaker
And she really struggled with it.
00:07:15
Speaker
And so she told me about something that she read about.
00:07:17
Speaker
how the brain makes connections.
00:07:19
Speaker
So when you have a routine, you get up in the morning, you feed your dog, you take him for a walk, you know, you get him water, you take him to a daycare.
00:07:27
Speaker
If you're in the city, you let him out in the yard.
00:07:29
Speaker
If you're in the country or, you know, you leave him for the day, they've got a doggy door, whatever is information, you know, and then you come home at night, you feed your dog, you take him for a walk, whatever you're going to do.
00:07:38
Speaker
And
00:07:39
Speaker
When you have a loss now, like I would use this example, if I had a sibling that I wasn't close to, it wouldn't, the
The Pet Convention Experience
00:07:49
Speaker
loss wouldn't be the same because I don't have those same connections in my brain where I'm constantly talking to them.
00:07:53
Speaker
Now, if I lost my mother.
00:07:55
Speaker
I talked to my mother like three, four or five times a day, like it would kill me.
00:07:58
Speaker
And I wouldn't, my brain would really have to work to repair itself.
00:08:02
Speaker
So even though you're not suffering a physical trauma, your brain still struggles.
00:08:06
Speaker
So you lose your pet.
00:08:08
Speaker
Now you go to feed them and your brain goes, wait a minute.
00:08:10
Speaker
I can't make that connection because I don't, my dog is gone.
00:08:14
Speaker
Yeah.
00:08:14
Speaker
And so then your brain is having to remake these connections.
00:08:17
Speaker
So your brain is still having to heal itself, even though you didn't suffer a trauma.
00:08:21
Speaker
That's how I look at it.
00:08:22
Speaker
Yep.
00:08:23
Speaker
And she told me about that.
00:08:24
Speaker
And I thought, wow.
00:08:25
Speaker
And I share that with my clients because it is, it's okay for you to be sad.
00:08:30
Speaker
It's okay for you to feel grief.
00:08:32
Speaker
It's okay for you to be upset and angry and to go through all of these emotions because otherwise you're not going to heal.
00:08:38
Speaker
Yeah.
00:08:39
Speaker
It's going to reside there.
00:08:40
Speaker
So again, we talk about the closure, which I don't think is a thing.
00:08:43
Speaker
I think you can heal from it.
00:08:45
Speaker
I think you can change your patterns and your behaviors.
00:08:49
Speaker
And I think that can help you heal from the loss.
00:08:51
Speaker
But I love helping people get to that point where they're like, okay, I know I've lost my pet, but I've got them back.
00:08:58
Speaker
And now I'm going to keep moving forward.
00:08:59
Speaker
I'm going to keep taking the steps that I need.
00:09:01
Speaker
Yeah.
00:09:02
Speaker
to continue to hear yeah yeah that's that's what i love no i love it's a really beautiful way of putting it and like even in similar i kind of say you know when your heart breaks from a loss no matter what that loss is and it can be a divorce it'll be loss of a job you know we kind of were made a joke of loss of a toothbrush like you're attached to the toothbrush whatever right i mean it's all
00:09:22
Speaker
No judging here.
00:09:23
Speaker
But it's like, you know, like an open wound that you'll get on a leg.
00:09:28
Speaker
It heals, but there's a scar left behind.
00:09:30
Speaker
And so, like, I don't think that any adult goes through life or gets to the end of their life without multiple scars on their heart.
00:09:37
Speaker
Right.
00:09:37
Speaker
And it repairs, but it never goes back to the way it was.
00:09:41
Speaker
So it's like, and, you know, even when it comes to like adopting a new dog or a new cat or whatever, I'm like, you're not replacing anything.
00:09:49
Speaker
That's got like getting something new.
00:09:50
Speaker
It's a bandaid.
00:09:51
Speaker
It's not going to put it over.
00:09:52
Speaker
Your heart just grows bigger.
00:09:54
Speaker
Right.
00:09:54
Speaker
Right.
00:09:55
Speaker
Like it's right.
00:09:55
Speaker
You know, you're just making more room.
00:09:57
Speaker
Right.
00:09:57
Speaker
And more love.
00:09:58
Speaker
Right.
00:09:58
Speaker
And I think people have a fear of that.
00:10:00
Speaker
Yeah.
Family Commitment to Senior Pets
00:10:01
Speaker
They they worry that getting another pet will be cheating.
00:10:05
Speaker
Yes.
00:10:05
Speaker
Like it's, oh my gosh, like I can't do that.
00:10:07
Speaker
And it's like, no, no, it's not.
00:10:10
Speaker
And honestly, where we were talking about that brain trauma, sometimes for some people getting a pet immediately after, if it's one they really have a connection with, you know, I'm not saying run out there and just get a pet, you know, make sure you've got a connection with them.
00:10:24
Speaker
But let's say it's a couple of weeks after, maybe you go to the shelter and you get one dog and you're like, this might be the one, but you're kind of having that.
00:10:31
Speaker
For some people it helps.
00:10:33
Speaker
Because then they go back into that same routine.
00:10:36
Speaker
It's not a replacement, but it does kind of help your brain go, okay, I can continue to do this.
00:10:43
Speaker
It's a different pet.
00:10:43
Speaker
I know that.
00:10:45
Speaker
But I'm still going through the same routines.
00:10:47
Speaker
And sometimes that's healing of people.
00:10:49
Speaker
Not everyone.
00:10:50
Speaker
Because we were just talking to another friend who said she waits several years before she gets
Business Expansion and Cremation Methods
00:10:55
Speaker
another pet.
00:10:55
Speaker
It's a big deal to her.
00:10:56
Speaker
And that's each We're all different Like exactly what you described Is exactly what we did in our family So when Roxy died 15 years ago We were just traumatised We had her Like I had her through my teenage years It's what my TEDx talk with Ended up being based on But like she was Yeah when you're She was a member of your family When you're a girl teenager Like you tell them everything Right you're like You know it's a boring turn Yeah yeah yeah It's all that
00:11:22
Speaker
This dog is literally my journal.
00:11:23
Speaker
She's just locked.
00:11:24
Speaker
She can't say a word.
00:11:25
Speaker
But so when she passed away like that, we ended up quite quickly going back to the breeders.
00:11:31
Speaker
And we weren't even sure if they were still going to be in operation.
00:11:34
Speaker
Or if they even had a litter at the same time.
00:11:35
Speaker
Yeah, exactly.
00:11:36
Speaker
And exactly as you said, it just so happened that Poppy, the dog, we just, yep, she was born the week Roxy died.
00:11:44
Speaker
Oh my God.
00:11:44
Speaker
I literally felt her soul went up and came back down in a different form but just in a Roxy knew these are going to be traumatized that you know I'm sending a little love bomb to kind of yeah so literally the photos maybe we can post a few of them here but the photos I have of when we got Poppy first she was the size of a teacup I mean she was teeny tiny
00:12:05
Speaker
But like you'll see us, we all held her at our heart because we were just heartbroken.
00:12:09
Speaker
Right.
00:12:09
Speaker
And we honestly, we weren't, we loved this little bundle, but we were also like, oh my God, traumatized a bit ourselves.
00:12:16
Speaker
Right.
00:12:16
Speaker
You know, again, with a pet, when you're taking it, you know that like the others are going to outlive it.
00:12:22
Speaker
You know, you're going through this heartbreak again.
00:12:24
Speaker
Right.
00:12:24
Speaker
And unfortunately that did happen.
00:12:25
Speaker
And what we actually always used to say, oh, and I don't want to get emotional now, but what we always, because we were so heartbroken at the time, we got Poppy and we would always hold her to our chest, every one of us.
00:12:35
Speaker
That was her comfort.
00:12:36
Speaker
So like whenever she was upset with fireworks or things, we would hold her to our chest.
00:12:41
Speaker
So when I wasn't at home, unfortunately, when Poppy passed away, but I asked, oh God, I asked my mum, I said, when she went away, how were you holding her?
00:12:52
Speaker
And she was holding her to her chest.
00:12:54
Speaker
And I was like, that's all I need to know.
00:12:56
Speaker
Right.
00:12:56
Speaker
Because that was her.
00:12:56
Speaker
Oh, God.
00:12:57
Speaker
OK.
00:12:57
Speaker
That was her.
00:12:59
Speaker
Right.
00:12:59
Speaker
That was her way.
00:13:00
Speaker
So but will we get like we haven't.
00:13:02
Speaker
So a couple of months have passed now.
00:13:04
Speaker
And it's funny.
00:13:05
Speaker
We have many podcast episodes where we talk about human loss.
00:13:09
Speaker
But and that's actually something else to talk about is that the emotion that I've seen at this conference has been wild.
00:13:15
Speaker
It's been really beautiful to see.
00:13:17
Speaker
And I feel like it's because it's like minded people coming together.
00:13:20
Speaker
But to your point, after Poppy passed, we now haven't replaced or we haven't gotten another replacer.
00:13:26
Speaker
We haven't gotten another one because I don't think we're ready.
00:13:29
Speaker
And exactly to your point, everyone's different.
00:13:31
Speaker
Every situation is different.
00:13:32
Speaker
You just have to go with what makes sense for you at the time.
00:13:35
Speaker
Right.
00:13:35
Speaker
I always tell people, if you leave yourself open, maybe not actively looking because some people are like, I just can't.
00:13:40
Speaker
I just can't look at their dog.
00:13:42
Speaker
I just start tearing up.
00:13:43
Speaker
It's really emotional.
00:13:44
Speaker
Yeah.
00:13:44
Speaker
I totally get it.
00:13:45
Speaker
Yeah.
00:13:46
Speaker
You know, some people just aren't ready.
00:13:48
Speaker
But I always say, if you leave yourself open, something will come.
00:13:51
Speaker
Yeah.
00:13:52
Speaker
No wander in your yard or they'll jump in your car and just be, you know, like if you're seeing a dog walking down the road and you're like, Oh my gosh, I'm worried.
00:13:59
Speaker
And you open the door and literally the dog jumps in your car and you're like, that was it.
00:14:02
Speaker
That was it.
00:14:03
Speaker
Or you're walking to Walmart and somebody's got puppies.
00:14:06
Speaker
Yeah.
00:14:07
Speaker
Do you know what I'm saying?
00:14:07
Speaker
Like something happened.
00:14:09
Speaker
Yeah.
00:14:09
Speaker
I have found.
00:14:10
Speaker
And I was just to tell people, leave yourself open.
00:14:12
Speaker
Yeah.
00:14:12
Speaker
You never know what's going to come.
00:14:13
Speaker
And cause again, no coincidence.
00:14:15
Speaker
Yeah.
00:14:15
Speaker
Feel like pets come into your life for a reason.
00:14:19
Speaker
And I feel like there's, there's more, you know, even when you say, I'm not getting another one.
00:14:24
Speaker
Yeah.
00:14:25
Speaker
Yeah.
00:14:26
Speaker
Yeah.
00:14:27
Speaker
No, I do.
00:14:28
Speaker
I like to think that it's not, it's again, it's not about replacing.
00:14:32
Speaker
It's not about like putting a bandaid on.
00:14:34
Speaker
It's your heart.
00:14:35
Speaker
There is more room.
00:14:36
Speaker
You've got more love to get, you know, that's, that's really what it's about.
00:14:39
Speaker
And think of all the little dogs and cats that are like in shelters.
00:14:43
Speaker
Oh, I know.
00:14:44
Speaker
Oh, I know.
00:14:45
Speaker
Yeah.
00:14:46
Speaker
It's,
00:14:46
Speaker
you know, and that's when they always say, and it's like, I always don't shop.
00:14:50
Speaker
Yes.
00:14:50
Speaker
I always see it on like, Oh my gosh, I have puppies.
00:14:52
Speaker
I have puppies.
00:14:53
Speaker
And I'm like, there are pets in rescue shelters that have been there for a long time, six months, nine months, a year, over a year.
00:15:02
Speaker
And it's like those pets need, and I'm always so grateful for the people that come and say, you know, I mean, unfortunately we have a dog that we've had.
00:15:12
Speaker
We've had her for seven years.
00:15:13
Speaker
It's just a wonderful family dog.
00:15:15
Speaker
And I love her.
00:15:16
Speaker
She's really my husband's dog, but I still love her.
00:15:19
Speaker
Charlie has always, she's just the best dog and she's always been a guard dog for me.
00:15:24
Speaker
And I'll probably, you know, when the time comes, I'll probably be like, oh my gosh, I miss my guard dog.
00:15:28
Speaker
Yeah.
00:15:28
Speaker
Because, you know, I get emotional.
00:15:30
Speaker
I get, you know, and I just, I don't want to think about that day.
00:15:33
Speaker
And maybe so I'm putting up my own, you know, somebody who cremates, I'm putting up my own barriers because I know it's going to come.
00:15:39
Speaker
You know, she's just getting older.
00:15:41
Speaker
Unfortunately, she is not a very dog friendly dog.
00:15:44
Speaker
Yeah.
00:15:45
Speaker
So we do have another dog, but she's extremely submissive.
00:15:50
Speaker
And that's just how she works with Charlie's personality.
00:15:52
Speaker
So it'll be interesting because Dottie, she gets along with any dog.
00:15:56
Speaker
So we could have another dog or a cat.
00:15:59
Speaker
But Charlie, she's just not.
00:16:00
Speaker
She is the alpha.
00:16:01
Speaker
She likes to be the only one.
00:16:03
Speaker
And she even struggles with Dottie sometimes.
00:16:05
Speaker
But...
00:16:06
Speaker
But you know what I mean?
00:16:06
Speaker
Like, so I'm always grateful for people who come in and say, well, we love adopting, you know, older dogs that need medical help, you know, or maybe they've got something like a pet that has diabetes that needs the insulin injections or a dog that's got a heart problem and has to take the heart meds.
00:16:21
Speaker
Yeah.
00:16:22
Speaker
There's not always a lot of people who are willing or able to adopt them.
00:16:26
Speaker
So I'm always grateful.
00:16:27
Speaker
Yeah.
00:16:28
Speaker
And there is, there's particular families who they'll only adopt senior dogs.
00:16:32
Speaker
Sometimes, yeah.
00:16:32
Speaker
Like, that's their, like, this is our calling in life.
00:16:34
Speaker
We're going to give them their last, best year, two years.
00:16:37
Speaker
My hat goes off to those people because I don't know that I could go through that heartache every year.
00:16:42
Speaker
But they do it over and over again.
00:16:43
Speaker
Because, you know, they're adopting at 11 or 12 or 13 years old.
00:16:48
Speaker
And all dogs are the sweetest.
00:16:49
Speaker
They are.
Future of Cremation Services
00:16:50
Speaker
They are.
00:16:50
Speaker
But, you know, sometimes it has to be people that don't have small children.
00:16:53
Speaker
You know, or there has to be a home that's only got one animal.
00:16:57
Speaker
Yeah.
00:16:57
Speaker
Because that's why they're there, because they're a little bit pet aggressive.
00:17:01
Speaker
And so we've always been really careful with our dog because I just would hate for Charlie.
00:17:05
Speaker
I just would hate for something to happen.
00:17:07
Speaker
So we've always been really careful.
00:17:09
Speaker
But I'm always grateful for that for those people.
00:17:11
Speaker
So yeah, so if you're looking for a pet, look at the shelter.
00:17:13
Speaker
Yes.
00:17:13
Speaker
They really want to help.
00:17:15
Speaker
Yes, they do.
00:17:16
Speaker
Yeah.
00:17:16
Speaker
And now tell us in terms of the business, because we don't want to keep getting too emotional, just bawling, crying.
00:17:22
Speaker
In terms of the business, are we expanding?
00:17:24
Speaker
I know you're a one woman show right now.
00:17:26
Speaker
I am.
00:17:26
Speaker
Do you want to keep it that way forever?
00:17:28
Speaker
So I'm working on- Have you even thought about it?
00:17:30
Speaker
I know.
00:17:30
Speaker
I have thought about it.
00:17:31
Speaker
Three 10 year plan.
00:17:32
Speaker
Yes.
00:17:32
Speaker
So if we're speaking in, so we're almost at the five-year plan, which you're going to be so proud.
00:17:38
Speaker
Hopefully I'll have a new machine next year.
00:17:40
Speaker
So that we're working on that, you know, at the moment, but our space is kind of limited.
00:17:44
Speaker
Our building is not at the time when we started, it was like, okay, we could probably make this work.
00:17:48
Speaker
But as I've learned and as I've seen other facilities and as I've kind of seen through my own experiences with my clients, what people really need.
00:17:57
Speaker
Mm-hmm.
00:17:58
Speaker
I know how I want to change things.
00:18:00
Speaker
So 10 year plan, I'd love to be in a new building with my machines, whether it's my own building or a building that I've been able to customize.
00:18:07
Speaker
That's the goal.
00:18:08
Speaker
Right.
00:18:09
Speaker
Of course, I'd love to have an employee in there somewhere.
00:18:11
Speaker
So you can actually go on vacation.
00:18:12
Speaker
Yes.
00:18:13
Speaker
But, but you know, when, and I don't know if we came back to this, but with an employee, you, you're looking for someone that can be both compassionate and someone who can handle the grittiness of taking care of pets.
00:18:23
Speaker
Yeah.
00:18:24
Speaker
You do get some that are just not in the best shape.
00:18:27
Speaker
Yeah.
00:18:27
Speaker
And I mean, you've educated me on a lot of that this time.
00:18:30
Speaker
You've got to really treat them with love and respect and you've got to be able to handle the clients.
00:18:36
Speaker
So you have to be able to be in that lobby and be compassionate and then turn around and say, okay, I've got to do a paw print for this dog, but it's a bit of a mess.
00:18:44
Speaker
Yeah.
00:18:44
Speaker
You know?
00:18:45
Speaker
And, and so I need someone who can do both.
00:18:47
Speaker
Yeah, it is.
00:18:47
Speaker
Yeah.
00:18:48
Speaker
Yeah.
00:18:48
Speaker
But yeah,
00:18:50
Speaker
Yeah.
00:18:50
Speaker
10 year plan.
00:18:51
Speaker
I'd love to be in my own building.
00:18:52
Speaker
That's totally customized to what I want people to feel when they walk through the door.
00:18:56
Speaker
And I've kind of done the best that I can with what I have.
00:18:59
Speaker
Yeah.
00:18:59
Speaker
And, you know, sometimes I look at it and I think I just, but people seem to be okay with it.
00:19:03
Speaker
Yeah.
00:19:04
Speaker
For the time being.
00:19:05
Speaker
But yeah, I would love to get another machine because I just can't keep up with it all.
00:19:09
Speaker
Yeah.
00:19:10
Speaker
No, myself.
00:19:10
Speaker
And, and once I get that new machine, I'm going to kind of see where things are at, but that's where my goal is.
00:19:15
Speaker
Like I love
00:19:16
Speaker
you know and and the place where i'm at even though it's small it just keeps growing yeah and i'd love to just continue to grow yeah so that i mean that's the plan that's yeah most businesses dream is to keep growing so that's amazing yeah now do you think you'll because obviously we've had some vendors uh here do you think you're going to go into the aquamation or like the water cremation or are you going to stick with fire for the new machine or what are you thinking
00:19:39
Speaker
Well, we kind of talked about this yesterday.
00:19:41
Speaker
I actually personally never seen an acclimation facility.
00:19:45
Speaker
I've only kind of seen what's been presented.
00:19:47
Speaker
Yeah.
00:19:48
Speaker
So I prefer to stick with fire.
00:19:52
Speaker
Fire.
00:19:52
Speaker
I do.
00:19:53
Speaker
I know we were kind of talking about this yesterday.
00:19:55
Speaker
I feel like it's more traditional.
00:19:56
Speaker
Yeah.
00:19:57
Speaker
I know you were saying, though, maybe it's a little bit more, I don't want to say the word violent, but that's the best way to explain it.
00:20:04
Speaker
I can see where it can be a little bit...
00:20:08
Speaker
It is, you know, we kind of associate fire with, you know, like a house fire.
00:20:13
Speaker
Yeah.
00:20:13
Speaker
Someone passing away.
00:20:14
Speaker
I mean, it's, it's done in a more confined, controlled environment.
00:20:17
Speaker
Yeah.
00:20:18
Speaker
And, you know, but yeah, the aquamation, I'm just not sure of it.
00:20:21
Speaker
Yeah.
00:20:21
Speaker
I need more research on my end.
00:20:23
Speaker
Yeah.
00:20:23
Speaker
I mean, honestly, I think for me, if I had like the ideal space for myself, I would have one of each.
00:20:29
Speaker
Because it's like, yeah, I kind of like I think I was saying yesterday, like some people are just allergic to fire.
00:20:35
Speaker
And I mean that not in an allergy sense, but like just no way fire.
00:20:39
Speaker
Like I'm, you know, the way some people are with burial.
00:20:41
Speaker
Exactly.
00:20:42
Speaker
Like people have a fear of burial of the maggots getting me and all this or I've been burnt alive or then with aquamation, water, water cremation.
00:20:51
Speaker
It's I don't want to drown.
00:20:52
Speaker
right and i'm like there is definitely an association yeah and it's so fascinating because it's like well you know you're dead but i guess nobody's come back from the dead to say do you experience things that you know right so it's an interesting it's an interesting concept to think about so i feel like it's a difficult decision to make an either or and i feel like a lot of people are in the same boat as you that they don't know enough about acclimation right it's just so new yeah i mean it really is so new yeah it's hard
00:21:17
Speaker
to say it's hard to turn down something you know so well and works well it is for something brand new really the things I would I would say the things that I consider in case there's anyone who's also maybe considering who's watching is of course cost and I think it's similar yeah I believe so
00:21:34
Speaker
As far as now, I guess maybe that's incorrect because we could say, well, what are you, how much space are you getting?
00:21:41
Speaker
Because when you're really thinking about cremation by fire, you kind of have to have a lot of room.
00:21:44
Speaker
But then again, maybe people are positioning the bodies different.
00:21:48
Speaker
Yeah.
00:21:48
Speaker
More different than I do.
00:21:49
Speaker
I like them to be more natural.
00:21:51
Speaker
Yeah.
00:21:52
Speaker
So a lot of times my pets, their legs are out.
00:21:55
Speaker
Like they would be a fair laying room anymore.
00:21:57
Speaker
And so those pets take up a little bit more space.
00:21:59
Speaker
Yeah.
00:22:00
Speaker
I know some people kind of curl their legs and stuff in.
00:22:04
Speaker
It's a little bit difficult when you pick up from like a veterinary officer somewhere else if they just don't have the room.
00:22:09
Speaker
You know, sometimes the bodies might be a little bit not in the best shape.
00:22:13
Speaker
Yeah.
00:22:13
Speaker
That can be hard too.
00:22:14
Speaker
So you have to think, okay, well, this is how much I can fix in my retorts.
00:22:20
Speaker
If I'm going to do a partitioned cremation or if I'm doing an exclusive or a communal, this is how much I can fit.
00:22:27
Speaker
If I have an acclimator.
00:22:30
Speaker
So that's something to consider.
00:22:31
Speaker
Cost, space, you know, how much can you really do in each machine in a day's time?
00:22:36
Speaker
And so what's your productivity?
00:22:38
Speaker
Then I think you're looking at space in your facility.
00:22:43
Speaker
A retort takes up a lot of space.
00:22:45
Speaker
You have to have space.
00:22:46
Speaker
Unless you've got the fire retarded walls and stuff, you have to be cautious of how close you are to a wall, how close you are, you know, and then you've got your stack.
00:22:54
Speaker
And it needs rebricking as well, isn't that okay?
00:22:56
Speaker
Yes.
00:22:57
Speaker
So, you know, they claim, a lot of them claim you can go a long time or this many cremations before you have to start thinking about it.
00:23:03
Speaker
I've had mine for four years when I had it serviced just in the past couple of weeks, just to kind of, because I'm a woman, maybe, I don't know, but I'm like, I want to make sure my machine is continuing to run.
00:23:14
Speaker
We like to prevent it.
00:23:15
Speaker
Yeah.
00:23:17
Speaker
He said probably 10 years they would come in and redo it based on how my cremator looks.
00:23:22
Speaker
Okay, so if I only have to pay that every 10 years, but the rest of my equipment is still running well, you know, I'm not really sure, you know, how.
00:23:30
Speaker
But so space, again, talking about.
00:23:33
Speaker
And then the other thing to me when you're considering the two is the cremation process itself.
00:23:39
Speaker
You know, what is done with aquamation?
00:23:41
Speaker
How do you do the little teeny tiny hacks?
00:23:44
Speaker
Yeah.
00:23:45
Speaker
Because the same has to be considered for cremation by fire.
00:23:48
Speaker
Now, I use stainless steel pans for my teeny tiny ones because even the tiniest ones, you can still get something.
00:23:56
Speaker
You know, there's no reason why you shouldn't have something because even a little mouse, they still have a bone structure.
00:24:01
Speaker
So there should still be something.
00:24:04
Speaker
Even little tiny birds, they still have something.
00:24:06
Speaker
So how does that work with the baskets and the opamator?
00:24:09
Speaker
Are they a fine mesh or how do we protect those little tiny bones?
00:24:14
Speaker
How does your pet have to be positioned in order to go into the Aquamater so you can get the best use of it?
00:24:19
Speaker
Yeah.
00:24:20
Speaker
You know, so those are just all things to consider.
00:24:22
Speaker
And yes, I would agree.
00:24:23
Speaker
I am familiar with the cremation by far.
00:24:26
Speaker
Yeah.
00:24:26
Speaker
And that's what I've done.
00:24:28
Speaker
So you do have that tendency to kind of stay, not saying the Aquamation may not be the future of cremation.
00:24:33
Speaker
Yeah.
00:24:33
Speaker
But I do think there are lots of things to consider when you're talking about spending that amount of money on a machine.
00:24:40
Speaker
Is it the best for you or business?
00:24:41
Speaker
Because again, everyone's different.
00:24:43
Speaker
You know, and we're talking about being, you know, conscious of the earth.
00:24:47
Speaker
Yeah.
00:24:47
Speaker
You know, I know a lot of places in California have Aquamators because it's more conscientious.
00:24:53
Speaker
But then again, my machine, you know, I think it's pretty efficient, you know, and as long as you're just doing pets, you're not putting other things in the machine, you know, such as documents or other things.
00:25:02
Speaker
then I think you're leaving less of a footprint.
00:25:06
Speaker
But again, it's things to be considering.
00:25:08
Speaker
What do you want for your business?
00:25:10
Speaker
What do you want it to stand for?
00:25:12
Speaker
Yeah, you have to think about your clientele, everything.
00:25:15
Speaker
You have to think of everything.
00:25:16
Speaker
Use your target audience and then price and how often do you have to update the machine and stuff like that.
00:25:21
Speaker
I mean, they're also coming out with developments of these machines constantly.
00:25:27
Speaker
Right, right.
00:25:27
Speaker
Everything is just, yeah.
00:25:29
Speaker
So we found this way to do it.
00:25:30
Speaker
Or we found this way to do it.
00:25:31
Speaker
Or as we've talked before, there's other ways to do burials.
00:25:34
Speaker
I know Anna, who we met at the ICC of A in April, she's in Guatemala and they do composting.
00:25:43
Speaker
With their pets, where they bury them.
00:25:45
Speaker
I can't remember the time frame, but, you know, they, they, or we're talking green burials.
00:25:49
Speaker
Yeah.
00:25:49
Speaker
Just these different ways that you can, and you just have to decide what is your clientele looking for?
00:25:54
Speaker
I'm out in the country.
00:25:55
Speaker
Yeah.
00:25:55
Speaker
So there's not as much of a desire for those type of.
00:25:59
Speaker
Yeah.
00:26:00
Speaker
Oftentimes people bury their own pets.
00:26:02
Speaker
because they have space to.
00:26:04
Speaker
That does not happen in Manhattan.
00:26:05
Speaker
Yeah, if you're talking about somewhere like Manhattan, you're having to look for other options because it's just not available to you.
00:26:11
Speaker
I mean, you could bury your pet maybe like in a flower pot or something.
00:26:14
Speaker
Your balcony, I'm not sure about that.
00:26:16
Speaker
Depends on the size.
00:26:19
Speaker
But do you know what I'm saying?
00:26:20
Speaker
Yeah, a little hamster.
00:26:22
Speaker
Is that potential for Manhattan?
00:26:23
Speaker
Yes, you could potentially do that.
00:26:26
Speaker
She seems to think people have balconies in Manhattan.
00:26:28
Speaker
Yeah.
00:26:29
Speaker
maybe it's one of those where it's like yeah the penthouse I was about to do that that's it the only one built or floor in the whole building yeah I well I've never been there so thank you well you'd have to come visit yes I will you can tell a non-manhattan night you're like no there's literally nothing I mean you could bury it in a pot and leave it in your bedroom but it's not really going to tell very good after a while I'm not sure yeah no yeah but those are all things to consider what is it
00:26:56
Speaker
your need in your area or your location or your state and go from there.