A Personal Loss Leads to Pet Crematorium Business Plan

By Sam Thrift Friday, July 01, 2011

When a friend or family member passes away, it’s clear what steps have to be taken to lay them to rest. Last requests are fulfilled, funerals are had, and loved ones mourn. But if your loved one isn’t human, the process becomes a little trickier.

This is the issue Jeff Leftwich’s brother came across when his dog died. Helping his brother deal with his dog's death, Leftwich, a retired federal employee who lives in James City, was inspired to learn more about how to handle the practical aspects of a pet's loss.

“I was under the impression that vets performed the cremations at their facilities, but that wasn’t the case,” he said. “Then I wondered, well where do they go?”

Through research he discovered that local veterinarians usually have to send the deceased pets to crematoriums hours away. “I would want to go see the equipment, meet the owner, know who they are, let them know how much my pet means to me. I’m not sure that option was there previously,” Leftwich said. “I know of people losing their pet and having a fine time, but dropping them off at the vet wasn’t enough for me.”

Watching his brother deal with the death of his dog moved Leftwich to start a new family business, Williamsburg Pet Loss.

Approved by the York County Board of Supervisors on June 21, Jeff and his wife Autumn are hoping to open their pet crematorium service in a small industrial park on Penniman Road in August. Before the business can open, its equipment will have to pass all of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality's inspections. “I knew it would be tough to set up a crematorium,” Leftwich said. “There are a lot of environmental hoops to get through, and rightly so.”

Now, Leftwich is building ties with area veterinarians and expects his business will  assist local animal facilities and residents.

“There’s a whole grieving process that happens when a pet passes and we need to be a participant in that,” he said. “It shouldn’t be drop them off and leave. There should be some interaction.  I’m not saying that we need to meet every person face to face, but the option makes me feel a little bit better.”

Another benefit of having a local crematorium is that the process time is shortened, typically taking one day. What's unusual about this service is that employees will be available 24 hours a day, even to make a house call if necessary. “If you’re a single parent and the pet passes in the middle of the night, then you’re in a tough spot,” Leftwich said. “Call us and we’ll make sure to get it before the kids wake up.”

Cremating the animal takes 30 seconds or less for remains under 200 cubic inches. Williamsburg Pet Loss will handle household pets only, anything from cats to turtles. Equipped with a Smoke-Buster 85 and a Whisper Shield, the machine used to cremate the animal eliminates smoke, odor and noise. Leftwich has yet to have a complaint about his soon-to-open business.

“There have been lots of opportunities for people to object, but thank goodness we haven’t had that at all,” he said. “Everyone is excited that there is something locally.”

When describing his new business to others, Leftwich said that people who don’t own pets struggle to relate to the option. “It’s like talking to people about children who don’t have kids.”  

“The benefit of cremation or burial is that it allows you to do what you wish. Scatter it on a spot the animal loved or put it in a urn in case you move,” he said. “There are even some people who realize that they don’t want the animal back.”

That, he said, is fine, too. Leftwich said Williamsburg Pet Loss will hold the remains for a short period of time in case the owner changes his or her mind. But if the owners don’t want the animal’s remains, there are plenty of groups who do. The new business owner explained that nurseries use animal remains for fertilizer and environmental groups use it for research.

This will be the first time Leftwich has owned his own business. “I don’t know what other people do to start a business, but I believed if you put your heart in it and are doing it for the right reasons, it will work out.”

Leftwich says he will not "jump the gun" on opening the new business. He wants to make sure that everything is in place before their doors open, which includes having a website up and running.

Through all of the work to start their own family business, Jeff Leftwich says that he has focused on what the business means to him and those it serves. “Losing a pet is stressful enough. If we can ease the pet owner’s minds and show compassion, it’s worth it.”