FAQ

What do we do after hours?
Due to the nature of our profession, plans cannot always be arranged. If your pet passes at a time when we are not available, we recommend the following:

1. If your pet is small or if you have a large pet indoors, make them comfortable and keep the room as cool as reasonably possible. If your pet is small enough and you are comfortable with the idea, you may place your pet a cooler/freezer until service can be provided. This will not affect our process in any way. Also, you may want to take this time to remove your pet’s collar, clip a lock of fur and decide if there are any mementos that you would like to send with your loved one. It is not recommended to cremated large quilts or blankets or even a large group of toys, but if you would like to send bed or blanket for your pet's comfort until services are provided you are welcome to. Further, if you would like to send a special toy or stuffed animal with your baby, that is fine too.

2. If your veterinarian does not provide 24 hour office service, you can bring your pet to the emergency clinics. There are two eastbank clinics, one is Southeast Louisiana Veterinary Speicialist at 400 Causeway Blvd. (near Metairie Road and Causeway) and another is the Eastbank Pet Embergency Clinic at 1955 Veterans Boulevard(Between Causeway and Bonnable on the Lakeside on Vets) and the Westbank Clinic is located in the 1152 Terry Parkway (by Skate Country). These clinics are usually opened after hours and on holidays and are kind enough to care for/hold your pet until we can arrive.

3. Our office begins returning telephone calls at 9:45 am Monday - Friday. If you would like to leave a message after hours, you may and your call will be returned as soon as possible during office hours. Please do not try to reach us via this web-site, it is not monitored 24/7.

What if we had already buried our pet?
If you have buried your pet, we offer a selection of headstones and monuments.

While we do not recommend disrupting your pet’s resting place, we can, if the need occurs, cremate pets that have been exhumed from their burial. We do not exhume pets. Iif you chose to move your pet after burial please contact our office and make an appointment for home service at the time of the exhumation or arrange a time for you to bring him/her to our office for receiving. We recommend that as much soil as possible be removed from the remains and that they are immediately placed in a plastic bag then placed in stirophome box (ice chest) or plastic box for transportation - preferably packed in blue ice.

What is the cost of cremation?

EXOTIC PETS : Such as Birds, Hamsters, Fish, Rats, Small Snakes, Sugar Gliders, etc. under 24oz or less than 670 grams. the cost $85 (for an additional $20 a selection can be made from our keepsake urns)

Our prices are based on the weight of your pet:

00.00 - 20 pounds ................$135
20.01 - 40 pounds.................$150
40.01 - 60 pounds.................$180
60.01 - 80 pounds.................$205
80.01 -100 pounds................$220
100.01-120 pounds...............$265
120.01-140 pounds...............$280
140.01-160 pounds...............$320
160.01-180 pounds...............$345
180.01-200 pounds...............$380
200.01-250 pounds ..............$410

This cost includes receiving your pet at your veterinarian's office (in the New Orleans , Jefferson , St. Bernard or upper Plaquemine areas) the private cremation, paper burial urn, cremation certificate and returning your pet’s ashes/cremains to your veterinarian's office.

What if I need home service?

We can schedule to receive your pet up at your home, by appointment for an additional fee of $30. (This includes returning your pet’s ashes/cremains to your home/office.)

If you would like home service, please understand that we will need access to your home, this means a place close by to park the vehicle, as well as access to and from your yard (if you pet is in the back yard). If you have a yard gate, please unlock it and make sure that there is a clear path free of plants, hoses, rakes, etc. in order that we may service your pet with dignity and allow safe access. If your pet is in your home, it is always better to have them on the first floor, close to the door that we can use to enter/exit the home.

If / When a final appointment is made with your veterinarian, it is a good idea to let us know, so that we can coordinate with your veterinarian. When you are selecting a place in or around your home to give your pet the gift of peace, please remember to consider your pet's comfort and the care that will be provided after his/her passing. As stated above we will need to have access to your loved one and room around him/her to service them with dignity. If your pet is large, we will need to be able to manipulate a stretcher, 2' wide X4' long in the area where your pet is resting. Accordingly, it is wise to select a place that is in an open area near a door on the ground level of your residence. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office.

There is an additional charge ($50) for service after 4 pm on weekdays (After hour appointments should be scheduled in advance). We are closed on all major holidays, including Saturday - Tuesday of Mardi Gras and every Saturday and Sunday. (List of Closed Holidays below) We do not charge extra to receive your pet from the Eastbank Pet Emergency Clinic or the Westbank Emergency clinic after normal hours or on holidays.

We are close on these holidays: New Year’s Day, Saturday - Tuesday of Mardi Gras, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve

How will I know that Agee's has received my pet (the correct pet) from my Veterinarian's Office if I am not present?

When you select our service, your doctor immediately labels your loved one with a special "Hold for Care by Agee's" bright orange label or a clinic nametag with your family name, pet's name and date of passing and private cremation indicated on the large, orange label. When we arrive at the doctor's office, we make certain that the name on the label and the paper work and information that we have received match. This information will provide your family name, pet's name, breed, weight, male/female and date of passing so that we can make certain that all information coordinates with the information on your pet. Your pet is constantly labeled/nametagged throughout his/her cremation service. At no time is your pet or his/her cremains without their label/nametag.

Do you have urns?
We offer a variety of reasonably priced custom urns. We have designed this site so that you may search for the perfect urn by selecting the catagory for your pet's size or the style urn you may have in mind, i.e., ceramic, metal (bronze, silver, pewter, brass) etc. Please visit our Products Page to view our complete line.

What to expect if we want to be present for our pet's cremation service?

If you would like to be present for your pet's cremation service, we provide a small, private room for viewing of the cremation. There is an additional $50 charge for Same Day Service. We consider "Same Day Service" to be a cremation scheduled so the owner can be present for the cremation and be able to bring his/her pet's cremains home that same day, it does not necessarily mean the service occurs the same day as the pet's passing.

(If you are interested in Same day service please contact our office and schedule an appointment - we cannot promise to provide this service instantaneously upon your pet's passing, however we can hold your pet with us until a time that is convenient for you to be present.)

We are easy to find -From the Westbank Expressway, turn south on Manhattan Blvd. (Exit No. 6) travel for 2 miles and turn right (west) on 11th Street, travel 6/10th of a mile (or 2 streets past stop sign at Brooklyn) and turn left on Washington Avenue. We are the second building on the left.

We welcome you to be present for your pet's service or to come in and see our urns and memorials in person.

This is our private viewing room - it is available by appointment. It provides comfort and allows you to watch everything we do.

We currently have 4 crematoriums to provide service when you need us.

We provide our service in the same equipment used for human cremations - we do not use farm animal type incinerators.

We have caskets in stock, available for viewing if you would like to make a selection they may also be selected from our "products" section of this web site.

We also have Statues and Monuments on site, or special order. Soon we will be adding these to our web so you can view in the convenience of your home.

What size urn will I need?

There is a rule of thumb that says 1 cubic inch per pound. However, just like people, there are always some variables. Ashes/cremains are derived from your pet's bone structure. And sometimes, jus like people, they do not always weigh what they should for their frame. Some are very thin, from being ill, in which case, they would produce more for their weight and some or heavy so they would have less ashes for their weight.

Other factors that affect the quantity of ashes received are, the type of equipment (crematorium and the processing equipment), the temperature of the crematorium and the length of the cremation time.

Copyright Ellen Agee 7/1/2006