Pets at Peace is now partially based at the Harris Funeral Home in Irondequoit.
Pets in the heat: How to protect dogs and cats in summer
Here are some tips for being outdoors and traveling with pets in hot weather as summer starts to heat up.
In 2009, Paul W. Harris Funeral Home at 570 Kings Highway in Irondequoit launched Pets at Peace, a cremation and burial service for pets.
By the end of this year, the company will begin operations from its own 4,000-square-foot building at 1401 Empire Blvd. in Penfield.
“This is a big step,” said Rick Harris, who has been a funeral director in the 78-year-old family business since 2000 and is president and CEO of Pets at Peace, at the groundbreaking ceremony on August 5. “We’ve grown so much in 15 years that we need to become a little more efficient in what we do.”
Harris didn’t have exact numbers to hand and couldn’t say how many clients Pets at Peace has served so far, but he estimated the number to be in the tens of thousands.
The demand for these services has increased not only here but worldwide as people now view their pets as full members of the family.
“I grew up with pets my whole life,” Harris said. “I lost a pet when we were just getting this whole thing rolling. As a funeral director, you know what’s out there isn’t up to the standard it should be. People just love their pets very much. They just want the best for them in life and aftercare, the same goes for us humans.”
Pets at Peace, which works with more than two dozen veterinary practices in the area, promises to return a pet’s ashes to the owner within 72 hours if requested, and uses a tracking system to ensure the correct remains are returned. Costs range from $55 to $395. Other services include paw prints, fur trimmings and memorial candles.
Currently, Pets at Peace’s business office is located at Harris Funeral Home. The pet aftercare facility, including a “Rainbow Bridge” room where owners can say goodbye to their deceased pets and a pet cremator, is located at 50 Dubelbeiss Lane in Irondequoit.
The entire operation, including the 25,000-pound cremation machine, will be moved to the building on Empire Boulevard, which will include three “Rainbow Bridge” rooms, Harris said.
“We don’t do a lot of funerals,” he said. “It’s not the visiting hours we’re used to at the funeral home. It’s more like families coming together to say goodbye to their pet, like you would for a loved one in a hospice or hospital.”
Pets at Peace has 12 employees and on any given day four to five will be working at the new center.
When asked about the cost of the project, Harris replied: “Very expensive. But we’re at a point where so many people use our services every year and we just want to continue to deliver at a high level.”
Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments. Send story tips to [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @MarciaGreenwood.
