Separating Myth from Fact: Understanding Your Pet’s Aftercare Options
Comforting Currents uses the state-of-the-art Aquamation water-based pet cremation process at our Sarasota facility. This guide was written to provide local pet owners and veterinary partners with transparent, accurate facts about our gentle water-based aftercare.
Saying goodbye to a cherished pet almost always makes aftercare decisions feel overwhelming. For over 20 years, Aquamation (also called alkaline hydrolysis or water cremation) has become a preferred choice for families seeking a gentle, eco-friendly alternative to flame-based cremation.
Although Aquamation is relatively new to many pet parents, misinformation and myths occasionally circulate—sometimes perpetuated by traditional providers who are unfamiliar with our water-based process. In the following we set the record straight on the four most common myths regarding pet Aquamation.
Myth 1: "It can take two weeks to get your pet’s remains returned to you."
The Fact: Although fire cremations are without question faster, Aquamation actually only takes one day. Following the water cycle, the mineral remains are carefully dried and prepared for memorialization. And since Comforting Currents provides a variety of design options to our pet owners such as custom engraved photos of your pet or decorative designs, distinctive fonts and captions to choose from as well as additional keepsakes that we craft in-house, families typically receive their pet’s cremains and personalized keepsakes within 3 to 5 days. Claims of a two-week turnaround are simply untrue.
Myth 2: "Individual/Private services are not really private."
The Fact: During a private service, each pet is placed in a separate, dedicated compartment within the Aquamation vessel along with an immutable metal identification tag that remains with them throughout the entire process. In addition, Comforting Currents uses four layers of tracking at each step from when a pet is transferred to our care to delivery of the cremains and remembrances. Families can rest assured that the cremains returned to them belong exclusively to their pet.
Myth 3: "Pets are commingled or mixed together during the process."
The Fact: In a private Aquamation, physical compartmentalization ensures total separation. Solid stainless-steel partitions keep each pet in their own defined space, preventing any mixing of mineral remains. Water flows around these individual partitions to facilitate the natural decomposition process, but the skeletal remains—which become the returned ashes—stay entirely isolated in their designated compartment.
Myth 4: "Aquamation uses harsh chemicals such as acid."
The Fact: Aquamation uses zero acid. The solution is made of 95% warm water and 5% alkali salts (which are used in soaps and even cosmetics). These are the exact same mineral salts that enable natural decomposition of soil. Rather than burning or dissolving, the process gently accelerates the natural breakdown of organic matter, leaving behind clean, soft mineral bone fragments.
Why Choose Gentle Aquamation?
In addition to being a peaceful process, Aquamation is one of the most environmentally conscious aftercare options available today:
Gentle Outcome: Because no high-heat flames are used, families actually receive up to 20% more of their pet’s cremains back compared to flame cremation. The resulting remains are lighter in color and softer in texture.
Zero Atmospheric Pollution: Aquamation produces no toxic smokestack emissions or greenhouse gases, reducing the carbon footprint by roughly 90% compared to traditional fire cremation.
Energy Efficient: Running a water-based cycle uses a fraction of the energy required to fire industrial cremation burners.
Choosing an aftercare provider is about finding trust, dignity, and transparency. When you know the facts behind water-based cremation, you can make the best choice for your companion with confidence and peace of mind.
Written by: Chris Cavis, Partner / Director of Customer Services and Content (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chriscavis21326195/)
Chris’s first and continued passion is for storytelling, a journey that eventually led him to the University of Florida, where he earned his Master’s degree in Journalism. He values the ethical responsibility as a journalist to fact-check, acquire multiple reliable sources, and follow the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics. Today, Chris is a Partner at Comforting Currents and serves as the Content and Office Manager, where he blends professional expertise with a passion for service. A lifelong animal lover, Chris grew up surrounded by pets, a background that fostered a profound empathy for families navigating the difficult journey of pet loss.
