Let me start by saying that I've read some of the reviews on the internet and I must say that in no way, shape or form did I have any negative experiences with Jacksonville Pet Crematory. In fact, it was completely the opposite. My story is long, but I want to show what an amazing job he did for us, My cat, Cyclops (yes, he had one eye and was absolutely an amazing dog-like cat) had spent his last 4-5 months battling large cell lymphoma, complete with surgery, needle biopsies of his liver pancreas, and spleen, and chemotherapy on top of the 7 different medications he was on daily (some of them twice daily). By reading his treatments, it should be understood that this little guy was more than just a cat, but more like our child. On November 14 2011, he passed away on the way to the ER. While at the ER/specialist's office (they're in the same building), I had concerns about where his remains were going for cremation. Because I had seen Jacksonville Pet Crematory there during our many visits, I assumed that it would be that company. I called JPC and left a message about my worries about actually getting my pet back and not random ashes. I got a returned call within the hour, and Jimmy, the owner, was kind and patient enough to explain the procedures he practiced. After some discussion, it was determined that Cyclops was going to be transported by another company all the way to Apopka for cremation which was not acceptable to me, as I did not want him taken that far by a company that does an abundance of pet cremations from across the state. Although it was about 4pm, he did not bat an eye about going to pick up my boy immediately. Because I'm a worrier, I drove to the specialist's office just to meet him. From previous observation of his work at the vet's office, I knew he was always pleasant and respectful of the remains. He was kind enough to let me go ahead and follow him to his office to make arrangements instead of following through with the appointment we had scheduled for the next day. I explained that the last time I had seen Cyclops he looked horrible. Jimmy went above and beyond by giving my husband and I a little viewing of him before his cremation, where he had prepared him to look as if he was sleeping, wrapped up in a white blanket lying in a little white casket. That experience meant the world to me. I also purchased a necklace with his nose print, and Jimmy made numerous casts of his little nose to send to the jeweler. He also kept his remains until the jeweler said the casts were good. Total, JPC had his remains for about a week before his cremation, but that was because of his viewing and nose print. When I returned to pick up Cyclops, Jimmy offered to give me a tour of his facilities (I?m the kind of person that needs to know the ins and outs of things, so this was something that I embraced). I got to see his operation and tagging system to ensure the pet to be cremated is the pet you get back, but out of respect, he did not let me see any of the remains of other pets. His facility was very well organized and spotless, and next to the crematory was a huge board filled with pictures of pets he?s taken care of over the years. It was slammed full of sweet pictures with little notes from the ?parents.? At the end of this terrible time in my life, Jimmy was amazingly compassionate and he made it all easier to handle. I can?t say enough about the concern he showed for us. Needless to say, I?d recommend him to anyone.
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