Losing a beloved pet is difficult. Even worse is not knowing whether the ashes you receive are actually from your cremated cat or dog.
Currently, the pet cremation industry is unregulated, which makes peace of mind difficult to come by. Hillarie Levy wants to change that.
Levy thought something was off after receiving the ashes of her miniature pinscher Wesley. Having already cremated a cocker spaniel, she immediately thought the weight was off. Winnie, the cocker spaniel was 26 pounds. Levy received six-and-a-half ounces of ashes from Winnie's cremation. But Wesley, who was 12 pounds, ended up as eight ounces.
“I Immediately knew something was wrong,” Levy said.
The difference in the ashes compared to the difference in the dogs’ sizes didn’t make any sense to Levy. “Something else is in [the ashes]” she said.
When Levy approached the cremation company, she realized there was a larger issue. “I saw the critical need for oversight to consumers and their pets.”
Levy wants legislation where pet cremation businesses would be licensed through the state, have cameras and tagging to track the animals, and random inspections. She suggests the regulatory measures would be overseen by the California Veterinary Medical Board along with the Department of Consumer Affairs.
Levy’s lawyer Jill Ryther told NBC 4, “When people are hiring you because they believe you view the animals similar to the way you view the animal, such as a family member, you can’t turn around and say, ‘Oh well, they’re just property under the law and therefore there’s no liability.’”
Listen to KNX In Depth's full interview with Levy above.
