What exactly is the Cremation Process? (This explanation is a little technical but very informative)
Cremation is the process of reducing the body to skeletal remains through evaporation.
The body is 85% liquid, 10% mass, and 5% bone. During the cremation process the body is placed into the cremation unit that has a constant temperature of 1600 degrees Fahrenheit, and through a slow evaporation process, it is reduced to fragile skeletal remains or bone.
During the cremation process, there is no odor. Odor is the result of incomplete combustion. Our equipment has two chambers for combustion, the primary chamber where the body is placed and the secondary chamber where the evaporating gases are cleansed.
The primary function of the primary chamber is to turn solids into gases.
The primary function of the secondary chamber is to re-burn the gases. The gases are heated to 1600 degrees Fahrenheit. Gases are being held in there for a minimum of one second retention time @ 1600 degrees F, thus eliminating all remaining combustibles. If there are no combustibles left in the gases, you have no odor.
The reason you smell odor form your barbecue grill in the backyard is that the gases from the barbecue process are only burned on time and do not go thru a second cleansing process. This is also called a low form of evaporation. The sole function of the afterburner in the secondary chamber is to make sure there are no visible emissions and no odor.
The explanation about why there is no emission of residue from the stack is simple, but a little technical. When you heat a solid and turn it into a gas, you produce a hydrocarbon, which exits the primary chamber and enters the secondary chamber for the after burning process.
The hydrocarbon is then reheated, but the molecular bond between the hydrogen and the carbon is broken. The hydrogen ignites and burns and the by-product is water. The carbon however is still there.
There is a blower on the system that blows and moves the molecules around. Since air is 21% oxygen, when the carbon floats around the chamber it attaches itself to –two oxygen molecules and it then becomes carbon dioxide. Therefore, with that being said, carbon dioxide, which we all exhale as we breathe out, is both odorless and colorless. (At least for some of us lol)
What is being emitted through the stack is only water vapor and carbon dioxide. What you see is a shimmer just above the top of the stack. The best way to describe what it looks like is on a hot summer day just after a short rain shower, you see a shimmer or steam coming off the highway surface as the air is moving across the highway. That is what you will see at the top of the stack during the cremation process. (My grand-daughter believes what she is seeing are the pets leaving the stack and going to heaven)
There is no smoke, no particulate, and no ash, only water and carbon dioxide coming out of the stack, which goes into the atmosphere.
The only thing that is left in the chamber at this point is bone or skeletal remains from the cremation process. Because everyone expects “ashes” returned to them after a cremation process, the skeletal remains go through an additional reduction or the processing of the cremated remains.
To process the cremated remains, the skeletal remains or bones are put through a processor that reduces them to powder or small grains of bone. That is what is what is returned to the family. There is no ash in the cremation process.
Cremains, which do not constitute a health risk, may be buried or interred in memorial sites or cemeteries, or they may be retained by friends and family and dispersed in a variety of ways.
What is a private pet cremation?
Your pet is the only one placed in the crematory chamber at the time of cremation.
What is a Partitioned Cremation?
Multiple pets are separated and partitioned in stainless steel containers with their own I.D. Tag during the cremation process. Each private cremation requires the crematory unit to pre-heat to attain a temperature of 1600 degrees before the cremation process can begin. When pets are partitioned they share that initial pre-heating of the cremation unit thus saving fuel and you money.
Who do I call if my pet dies in my care at home?
Until decisions and preparations can be made, find the coldest part of your home, such as the basement floor, garage floor, or in cold weather, an enclosed porch or trunk of your car. (Do no place the pet outside in an unprotected area). Lay a piece of plastic down first. Place newsprint, towel or blanket next. Cover your pet with another blanket, towel or sheet. You can call Rolling Meadows Pet Crematory at 903-746-0259, find our contact us page on this website or you can send us a message on facebook.com/runettarun.
What should I do if my pet dies while at my Veterinarians office?
Don’t panic. You do not have to hurry and make a decision. Most veterinary clinics have cold storage where your pet can be kept for a day or two.
What if my vet uses another cremation company and I want to use Rolling Meadows Pet Crematory?
It is ultimately the pet owners right to make the decision as to where their pet will be cremated. You wouldn’t let your family members doctor tell you where to send their body after they have passed on so why would you let your vet make the same decision for your pet. You have the right to send your pet to any facility of your choice. If you make the decision for Rolling Meadows Pet Crematory to care for your pets afterlife care, we have a Pet Directive that designates your wishes for afterlife care for your pet that you can give to your vets’ office. Just Click and Print.
Our vets office told us that it would be 7-14 days before we would receive our pet back from their crematory company. Why would it take so long?
Some vets in our area use crematory facilities that are hours away from Longview and pick up pets all over the East Texas area, stacking these pets on top of each other in an unrefrigerated vehicle only to travel many hours back to their facilities. Out- of- town crematory facilities usually make a once a week pick-up and delivery. If the out-of-town crematory facility has already picked the pets up from your vet in the morning and your pet passes in the afternoon at the vets’ office your pet will be stored for up to a week before the out-of -town crematory makes another pick-up at your vets’ office. So your pet is stored for a week, picked-up, cremated and not returned for another week. We feel you should never have to wait this long for the return of your pets cremains. Rolling Meadows Pet Crematory is located right here in Longview and makes twice a week pick-ups to participating vet offices.
My vet has a disposal service for pet parents who do not wish to take their pets home after death. What happens to my pet with this service?
It can mean several things. Pet disposal service can mean that your pet will be communally cremated with other animals and then buried in a pet cemetery. Pet disposal service can mean that your pet will be communally cremated and then sent to a landfill. Communal Cremations are performed by the placement of multiple pets in the crematory at the same time without the return of the pets cremains to their owners. Pet disposal service can also mean the pet will be sent directly to a landfill. If your pets final resting place is important to you, you should make sure your vets disposal service meets your wishes.
Can I be positive that I have my pets cremains?
Each pet receives an identification tag immediately upon receipt into Rolling Meadows Pet Crematory’s care. The pet’s i.d. tag is kept on the pet during the cremation and returned to the pet parents along with the pets cremains.
Is it normal to grieve over the loss of a pet?
It is just as normal to grieve over the loss of a pet as it is to grieve over the loss of a human. Not only is it normal, but it is healthy to grieve. Suppressing grief causes more pain. Tears are an important part of accepting and working through the grief. The more you remember the better you will feel. Memories can be recalled frequently. Saying your final “Goodbyes and planning your pet’s after-life care is an important part of accepting the loss. By allowing someone else to make final plans you are denying the loss and grief can be prolonged. Your pet’s final resting place should be known to you and this should help to reduce your pain.
How long is a normal grief period?
There is no “normal” set time for grief. Different people react in different ways. Many times grieving people question their sanity. This is the pain and confusion of grief. Grief should not be hidden. Grieving people should associate with others who understand and are sympathetic. Avoid those that don’t understand. Further rejection at this time should be avoided. Don’t be ashamed or try to hide your grief. Grief denied is grief retained. The longer it is denied the longer you will grieve.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is the Cremation Process? (This explanation is a little technical but very informative)
Cremation is the process of reducing the body to skeletal remains through evaporation.
The body is 85% liquid, 10% mass, and 5% bone. During the cremation process the body is placed into the cremation unit that has a constant temperature of 1600 degrees Fahrenheit, and through a slow evaporation process, it is reduced to fragile skeletal remains or bone.
During the cremation process, there is no odor. Odor is the result of incomplete combustion. Our equipment has two chambers for combustion, the primary chamber where the body is placed and the secondary chamber where the evaporating gases are cleansed.
The reason you smell odor form your barbecue grill in the backyard is that the gases from the barbecue process are only burned on time and do not go thru a second cleansing process. This is also called a low form of evaporation. The sole function of the afterburner in the secondary chamber is to make sure there are no visible emissions and no odor.
The explanation about why there is no emission of residue from the stack is simple, but a little technical. When you heat a solid and turn it into a gas, you produce a hydrocarbon, which exits the primary chamber and enters the secondary chamber for the after burning process.
The hydrocarbon is then reheated, but the molecular bond between the hydrogen and the carbon is broken. The hydrogen ignites and burns and the by-product is water. The carbon however is still there.
There is a blower on the system that blows and moves the molecules around. Since air is 21% oxygen, when the carbon floats around the chamber it attaches itself to –two oxygen molecules and it then becomes carbon dioxide. Therefore, with that being said, carbon dioxide, which we all exhale as we breathe out, is both odorless and colorless. (At least for some of us lol)
What is being emitted through the stack is only water vapor and carbon dioxide. What you see is a shimmer just above the top of the stack. The best way to describe what it looks like is on a hot summer day just after a short rain shower, you see a shimmer or steam coming off the highway surface as the air is moving across the highway. That is what you will see at the top of the stack during the cremation process. (My grand-daughter believes what she is seeing are the pets leaving the stack and going to heaven)
There is no smoke, no particulate, and no ash, only water and carbon dioxide coming out of the stack, which goes into the atmosphere.
The only thing that is left in the chamber at this point is bone or skeletal remains from the cremation process. Because everyone expects “ashes” returned to them after a cremation process, the skeletal remains go through an additional reduction or the processing of the cremated remains.
To process the cremated remains, the skeletal remains or bones are put through a processor that reduces them to powder or small grains of bone. That is what is what is returned to the family. There is no ash in the cremation process.
Cremains, which do not constitute a health risk, may be buried or interred in memorial sites or cemeteries, or they may be retained by friends and family and dispersed in a variety of ways.
What is a private pet cremation?
Your pet is the only one placed in the crematory chamber at the time of cremation.
What is a Partitioned Cremation?
Multiple pets are separated and partitioned in stainless steel containers with their own I.D. Tag during the cremation process. Each private cremation requires the crematory unit to pre-heat to attain a temperature of 1600 degrees before the cremation process can begin. When pets are partitioned they share that initial pre-heating of the cremation unit thus saving fuel and you money.
Who do I call if my pet dies in my care at home?
Until decisions and preparations can be made, find the coldest part of your home, such as the basement floor, garage floor, or in cold weather, an enclosed porch or trunk of your car. (Do no place the pet outside in an unprotected area). Lay a piece of plastic down first. Place newsprint, towel or blanket next. Cover your pet with another blanket, towel or sheet. You can call Rolling Meadows Pet Crematory at 903-746-0259, find our contact us page on this website or you can send us a message on facebook.com/runettarun.
What should I do if my pet dies while at my Veterinarians office?
Don’t panic. You do not have to hurry and make a decision. Most veterinary clinics have cold storage where your pet can be kept for a day or two.
What if my vet uses another cremation company and I want to use Rolling Meadows Pet Crematory?
It is ultimately the pet owners right to make the decision as to where their pet will be cremated. You wouldn’t let your family members doctor tell you where to send their body after they have passed on so why would you let your vet make the same decision for your pet. You have the right to send your pet to any facility of your choice. If you make the decision for Rolling Meadows Pet Crematory to care for your pets afterlife care, we have a Pet Directive that designates your wishes for afterlife care for your pet that you can give to your vets’ office. Just Click and Print.
Our vets office told us that it would be 7-14 days before we would receive our pet back from their crematory company. Why would it take so long?
Some vets in our area use crematory facilities that are hours away from Longview and pick up pets all over the East Texas area, stacking these pets on top of each other in an unrefrigerated vehicle only to travel many hours back to their facilities. Out- of- town crematory facilities usually make a once a week pick-up and delivery. If the out-of-town crematory facility has already picked the pets up from your vet in the morning and your pet passes in the afternoon at the vets’ office your pet will be stored for up to a week before the out-of -town crematory makes another pick-up at your vets’ office. So your pet is stored for a week, picked-up, cremated and not returned for another week. We feel you should never have to wait this long for the return of your pets cremains. Rolling Meadows Pet Crematory is located right here in Longview and makes twice a week pick-ups to participating vet offices.
My vet has a disposal service for pet parents who do not wish to take their pets home after death. What happens to my pet with this service?
It can mean several things. Pet disposal service can mean that your pet will be communally cremated with other animals and then buried in a pet cemetery. Pet disposal service can mean that your pet will be communally cremated and then sent to a landfill. Communal Cremations are performed by the placement of multiple pets in the crematory at the same time without the return of the pets cremains to their owners. Pet disposal service can also mean the pet will be sent directly to a landfill. If your pets final resting place is important to you, you should make sure your vets disposal service meets your wishes.
Can I be positive that I have my pets cremains?
Each pet receives an identification tag immediately upon receipt into Rolling Meadows Pet Crematory’s care. The pet’s i.d. tag is kept on the pet during the cremation and returned to the pet parents along with the pets cremains.
Is it normal to grieve over the loss of a pet?
It is just as normal to grieve over the loss of a pet as it is to grieve over the loss of a human. Not only is it normal, but it is healthy to grieve. Suppressing grief causes more pain. Tears are an important part of accepting and working through the grief. The more you remember the better you will feel. Memories can be recalled frequently. Saying your final “Goodbyes and planning your pet’s after-life care is an important part of accepting the loss. By allowing someone else to make final plans you are denying the loss and grief can be prolonged. Your pet’s final resting place should be known to you and this should help to reduce your pain.
How long is a normal grief period?
There is no “normal” set time for grief. Different people react in different ways. Many times grieving people question their sanity. This is the pain and confusion of grief. Grief should not be hidden. Grieving people should associate with others who understand and are sympathetic. Avoid those that don’t understand. Further rejection at this time should be avoided. Don’t be ashamed or try to hide your grief. Grief denied is grief retained. The longer it is denied the longer you will grieve.