Pet owners concerned over cremation company's 'fake' ashes

More pet owners who used Express Pet Cremation have expressed concerns after Channel NewsAsia reported that the company had allegedly returned compounds likened to sand and cement to a pet owner who had used its services to cremate his dog.

Ms Kelly Chua, 36, who engaged the company to cremate her dog on Jul 6, has made a police report.

She pried open the urn on Wednesday (Aug 3) containing her dog's remains and found a bag with a grey-white powdery substance.

“It really looks like cement. It’s grey and the texture is like beach sand. How could ashes be like that?” Ms Chua said. She paid about S$380 to cremate her Jack Russell.

Another pet owner, 69-year-old John De Souza, has decided to submit his dogs’ ashes for a forensics test.

“I want my dogs’ ashes to be mixed with my own ashes when I’m gone and I’m not going to put this ... into my urn,” said Mr De Souza, who spent about S$800 cremating his two schnauzers. 

“I will make a police report if the results turn out to be cement or that sort of thing. Then I would have to send the ashes for analysis so that it can be legally represented,” he added.

When Channel NewsAsia visited Express Pet Cremation in Pasir Ris on Wednesday, the truck that houses the incinerator was not present. Channel NewsAsia understands that the truck was driven off at about 9am on Wednesday. 

​The truck with the incinerator was not seen at Express Pet Cremation on Wednesday.

A pet owner, who wanted to be known only as Mr Ng, was there to retrieve his pets’ urns from the company's columbarium. He has been paying an annual fee of S$180 since 2012. Mr Ng told Channel NewsAsia he plans to have his pets’ ashes tested as well.

“I’m planning to go for forensics test, to verify it. I just want to know the truth. They are my babies,” he said.

When contacted by Channel NewsAsia on Tuesday, Mr Patrick Lim, the owner of Express Pet Cremation, denied the allegations. “We are not a cement company, we are a cremation company. We are also not a construction company,” said Mr Lim.

WHERE ARE THE CARCASSES?

Some owners have questioned what might have happened to their pet's body if it was not cremated.

Mr Lim said that all pets are cremated properly. “Whatever carcass we have, we incinerate it,” he said.

He added that those with evidence should report it to the authorities and not “smear” his company’s name.

Police confirmed that reports have been lodged and investigations are ongoing.