The Hill Pet Crematory, LLC
Can I bring my pet to you?
Yes. We are open to the public and accept pet's by appointment most days, nights, weekends, and even on holidays for no extra charge. Just call our urgent service line at 1-888-573-0033. We also have an after hours drop (see info in the next paragraph). However, if you have an appointment for your pet at the vet's office, we do work with nearly 20 veterinarians around the area and each will offer our services to you direct. The vet will include the cremation fee and you will pay them for our service. We will then pickup and return your pet to the vet's office and they will call you to let you know it's ready to be picked up. Most pet owners find this collaboration between us and their vet's office and valued service during this emotional time.
After Hours Drop Off Option: Several years ago we decided to offer a drop off area within our office for those who do not wish to wait for a return phone call and appointment and for those pets who pass away in the night or while we are away for the day. Remember, we are a small family owned and operated business. We do NOT have office staff who are present during regular business hours. We are a husband and wife team and have one fabulous part-time helper. We try to never all be gone on vacation or out of town for the day at the same time, but it does happen.
Should you wish to use our help-yourself drop off, it is located at our office at 6796 State Hwy C, Altenburg, 3 miles past Pocahontas on the right. When you come up the gravel drive, turn into the drive for the first little building. On the glass of the door are some instructions and there are more inside just under the window. Help yourself to the bathroom and any of the towels, bags, and supplies. The office kitty may greet you. Her name is Precious and its okay if she sneaks out the door. She comes and goes as she pleases.
Are you locally owned and operated or do you send pets to another location to be cremated?
We are local and ALL save ashes/private cremations are completed onsite at 6796 State Hwy C, Altenburg, MO. We are a very small business and we only have one crematorium and one full time crematory operator. Hence, it may take us longer to complete your cremation, but you can be assured your pet is not being bar coded and scanned for identification purposes. Instead it is spoken to by name and cremated onsite by an owner of the business.
In April 2024, we started using another cremation facility to help us with some of our mass/no save cremations. When needed, they pickup from us in a van and transport these pets to their facility for cremation. We have visited their facility and witnessed their operation, and their years of service and professionalism is why we chose them to help us when needed. Again, this is only for those pets whose ashes are not to be returned to their owner.
How do you identify the pets? How do you know its my pet?
All pets have a color coded tag attached to them or the bag they are in. This tag tells us which vet they came from or if they were delivered to us or picked up from your home. It also has the pets name, owners name, date of death and weight. The tags are attached with a metal tie so it does not break or come lose. In addition, each pet comes with a small white paper that we required to be filled out with the same info as on the tag, plus some additional info and notes. Before cremation, each pet tag is matched with the white paper and information is verified before cremation. Some crematories place a metal disk that has an embossed serial number in the crematory with each pet. The pet's ashes are then returned with that metal disk which is said to be proof of identification. We have always chosen names over numbers and simply remove your pet's ID tag from their body as they are placed inside the crematory's chamber and that tag stays with your pet's ashes until they are boxed.
Where is my pet stored until it is cremated?
The vets we work with will hold your pet in cold storage until we pick it up from them. When it arrives at our office, we place all pets in a walk-in cooler which is set to 36-38 degrees.
The vet said my pet would be placed in a freezer until its picked up and I don't want it in a freezer. What can I do?
It is important to understand, even though we do not like the thought of it, the best way to preserve our beloved pet's body is by storing them in a cold environment. A pet's body will begin to degrade very quickly after death. Without providing too many details, let's just say that freezing at the vet's office is a dignified method of preservation for the sake of everyone handling your pet from that day forward. The cold keeps bacteria under control, fluids from escaping, and pests will not be attracted to the body during its transport from the vet's office to our crematory. Funeral home style walk-in coolers are extremely expensive and take massive amounts of space. Consequently vets use the next best thing, a chest style freezer.
When your pet arrives at our office, it is placed on a cart and stored in our walk-in at 36-38 degrees until its cremation which is usually within 1-4 days.
I understand why pet's are frozen at the vet's office, but I don't want them in the freezer with other pets. To be totally honest, our walk-in cooler usually has anywhere from 20-50 pet's in it at any given time. Yes, you may bring your pet to us rather than leaving it with your vet, but it still will not be stored alone. This does not mean we aren't giving your pet the absolute best care. It just means we are caring greatly for a lot of pets at one time--each deserving a personal touch and loving care just like yours. I promise we always strive to provide care better than the industry norm!
How long can I wait until I bring my pet to you if it dies at home?
We know this is a very difficult time! Please understand that we are professionals and will handle your pet as needed. This is what we do. We understand that all pets age differently and that accidents and illness can leave them very frail. We also understand that bladders release and bowel movements often happen and that's okay too. We are familiar and prepared and will treat your pet with dignity.
The length of time your pet can wait depends on several factors.
If your pet has any open sores or injuries where blood is present, we highly recommend seeking assistance immediately. If help can not be received within a couple hours, we highly recommend placing the body in a bag or wrap them tightly in a towel or blanket to keep unwanted pests out and fluids contained. Do only what your are comfortable with and leave the rest to us. We are here to help!
If the pet is outside, unless the temperature is below freezing, you should bring your pet to us immediately to avoid rapid changes in condition and the attraction of pests. Pets that have been exposed to adverse conditions and who have started the decomposition process will incur an added fee to cover our additional clean up and protective processes.
If the pet is inside and smaller than 15lbs, in most cases, your pet will be okay for 24 hours. However depending on age and the circumstances of death, your pet might greatly benefit from the use of an ice pack on its belly. We always recommend moving the pet to a water proof pad and laying them on an ice pack is also a good idea. Beyond 24 hours, we recommend cold storage like a cooler with ice packs. If you do not plan to come for a few days, its best to freeze or refrigerate your pet to stop the growth of bacteria and decomposition (which could add an additional exposure fee)
If the pet is inside and between 15-35lbs, in most cases your pet will be okay for 24 hours as long as you keep ice packs around it. I recommend laying the pet on a water proof or absorbent pad, laying the pet on several ice packs and wrapping the pet in a towel or blanket. If you are comfortable doing so, the use of a plastic bag around your pet is also advised. The idea is to keep the belly cool to slow down the natural processes and to keep pests (often invisible to us) away and/or contained. If you do not plan to come for a few days, its best to freeze or refrigerate your pet to stop the growth of bacteria and decomposition (which could add an additional exposure fee)
If the pet is inside and larger than 35lbs, we highly recommend bringing your pet to us or your vet's office within 6-10 hours of death. Like with smaller pets, if you will be needing to wait several hours, I recommend laying the pet on a water proof or absorbent pad, laying the pet on several ice packs and wrapping the pet in a towel or blanket. If you are comfortable doing so, the use of a plastic bag around your pet is also advised. The idea is to keep the belly cool to slow down the natural processes and to keep pests (often invisible to us) away and/or contained. If you do not plan to come for a few days, its best to freeze or refrigerate your pet to stop the growth of bacteria and decomposition (which could add an additional exposure fee)
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