For many people, pets are considered members of the family. When they die, their owners want a dignified funeral service and a way of remembering them.

Billy and Erica Sickler and Mike Flynn have opened PAWS Memorial Services on Quinn Road, a crematory for pets that they say offers “closure” for people dealing with a beloved animal’s death.

“Pet crematories have been more common in the North,” said Billy Sickler. “They have frozen ground for part of the year. And here in the South, there are subdivision regulations against burying pets on our property. We want to bring this subject out of the dark and make it mainstream and not something just associated with veterinarians, but the public.”

The Sicklers and Flynn said they had performed some six cremations by Wednesday when the Chamber of Commerce conducted a ribbon cutting to introduce the new business to the community.

Billy said one of the ways in which his company provides closure to grieving pet owners is, “making sure the pet they send is the one they get back. It gives them peace of mind.”

At least one local veterinarian has a crematory in conjunction with his office, Billy said, but many pets are sent off for cremation to a facility in South Florida.

He said that prices range from $150 to $275, depending on the weight of the pet. Each cremation is done individually at a temperature of 1,650 degrees. If a client does not want the pet’s ashes returned, the cremations are done “communally.”

“Some pet crematories tell you that they can guarantee you are getting back your pets ashes, but if they do communal cremations, there is no way to tell because the ashes become mingled,” he said.

Should a pet owner opt for a communal cremation because he or she does not want the ashes returned, the cost is from $30 to $75, he said. The ashes–or cremains–are scattered over the Sicklers’ 120-acre farm. PAWS Memorial Services does not provide a pet cemetery where un-cremated animals can be buried.

The company also offers a special price for “pocket animals,” such as birds, ferrets, skunks and small cats.

The company offers a 24-hour pick-up service for deceased pets free of charge within a 25-mile radius. If the distance is more than 25 miles, the company charges $20.

“Private cremations cost more because of the cost of the gas—the overhead on propane,” Billy said.

The 9-ton furnace was shipped from South Florida and Flynn says it meets all Environmental Protection Agency emission standards.

“There is no dirt or dust floating around—it has a smoke buster,” said Flynn. “There is very little emissions and nothing leaves this building. If the smoke reaches above EPA standards, the furnace will automatically shut down.”

He said it takes from one to one-and-a-half hours to cremate a pet, depending upon its weight. The furnace can accommodate an animal up to 300 pounds.

The columned brick building includes a “viewing room” for those who want to watch the process. If people wish to participate in the actual cremation, they can.

“Some folks even want to turn the key as part of the closure process,” Billy said.

The company takes special measures to make sure that pet owners get back the right cremains.

“We call this our PAWS-a-Track,” said Billy. “This is barcode scanning. All animals are digitally traceable throughout the entire process. We have online forms for people to fill out and that takes the errors out. Veterinarians or the public can submit the information.

“We take this personally. We don’t want to make mistakes. These are people’s family members.”