A labour of love: How Kootenay Pet Cremations helps families heal

This Trail business creates lasting tributes for the pets who leave paw prints on our hearts

The owners of Kootenay Pet Cremations are known for their compassion, ethics and care. — Photos courtesy Kootenay Pet Cremations

Losing a pet means parting with a beloved family member, and for many, the process of aftercare can feel overwhelming in an already emotional time. Kootenay Pet Cremations in Trail, owned by Shafiq ‘Shaq’ Manji and Melissa Clarkson, was built with one purpose: to provide pet owners with a compassionate, dignified way to honour their companions.

Shaq and Mel’s journey into pet cremation wasn’t driven by business alone—it was deeply personal. From early experiences with fostering and animal care to running their own custom memorial business, their path was shaped by a lifelong love of animals. Taking over the well-respected Mountain Street Pet Cremations allowed them to carry forward a legacy of care while adding their own expertise in personalized tributes. With local services that prioritize ethical practices, custom keepsakes, and a deeply personal touch, Kootenay Pet Cremations can help families heal during this difficult time. We had the privilege of connecting with these inspiring business owners to learn more about their much-needed services.

What inspired you to start Kootenay Pet Cremations?

Kootenay Pet Cremations was born from our deep love for animals, personal experiences with loss and previously creating pet memorials for local grieving families. We know firsthand how difficult it is to say goodbye to a beloved pet, and we wanted to create a service that offers comfort and support during that time.

Animals have always been a part of our lives. Shaq grew up spending time on his grandmother’s farm in Kenya, while Mel’s love for animals nearly led her to become a vet before she pursued human sciences. Throughout our 20s and mid-30s, we dedicated ourselves to fostering, dog walking, pet sitting, and training. Helping pets and their families has always been our passion, and through Kootenay Pet Cremations, we hope to provide a compassionate and dignified farewell for the animals who mean so much to us all.

Can you tell us more about the transition from Mountain Street Pet Cremations to your ownership?

The transition from Mountain Street Pet Cremations to our ownership was a meaningful journey, guided by the mentorship and support of Will and Anne McInnis. Mountain Street was deeply loved by the community, and we felt honoured to continue its legacy while bringing our own personal touch to the service.

Will and Anne’s guidance helped us understand the importance of compassionate care in pet aftercare, reinforcing our commitment to providing dignified farewells for beloved pets. As we stepped into this role, our goal was not only to uphold the values that made Mountain Street so trusted, but also to expand upon them by incorporating our own experiences and personalized memorial options.

We are grateful for the warm welcome from the community and remain dedicated to supporting pet owners with empathy, professionalism, and the heartfelt understanding that comes from having loved and lost pets ourselves.

How does your background in trades, neuroscience, and cancer research influence your work in pet cremation?

Before transitioning into trades, Shaq worked in customer service, while Mel worked in cancer research. These backgrounds gave us valuable skills—empathy, attention to detail, accuracy, organization, and the ability to support those experiencing loss—all of which carry over into our work in pet cremation.

At the same time, this field is quite different from our past professions, which is what makes it feel like a passion project rather than just a job. That sense of purpose helps us stay engaged and prevents burnout, allowing us to provide compassionate and meaningful care to every family we serve.

What was it like starting Kenyadian Creations, and how does it tie into your pet memorial work?

We launched Kenyadian Creations five years ago, starting as a hobby that quickly blossomed into a side business. Our motto, "You name it, we create it," gave us the flexibility to craft personalized items in nearly any medium. Over time, our woodworking expertise grew, incorporating technologies like 3D printing, CNC routers, and laser engraving. This evolution has been essential to Kootenay Pet Cremations, allowing us to offer custom keepsakes that people can treasure forever. Our service is “more than just cremation”—it's about honouring memories in a truly meaningful way. We're always excited to collaborate with the community to bring their creative ideas to life.

What options do pet owners have when it comes to memorializing their pets through your services?

We provide a variety of memorial products, including metal and wood urns, plaques, jewelry, and scatter tubes. Our standard cremation services include returning your pet's ashes in either a custom engraved wooden urn or a graceful scatter tube. Pet owners are welcome to contact us at any time if they'd like additional customizations, such as having a photo engraved on one of our pieces. We can also digitize your pet’s ink paw print and engrave it for you. Our goal is to offer pet owners a local, all-inclusive option—not just cremation services. We're also partnering with local artisans to broaden the ways you can honour your pets, strengthening our community while ensuring each product is made with the utmost care and quality. We're always open to new ideas as well.

What advice would you give to pet owners who are facing the difficult decision of aftercare?

It's important to ask the right questions when choosing a cremation service: Is my pet being cremated locally or out of town? How will I receive my pet’s cremated remains? How long will it take to get my pet back? Can I contact this cremation business if my pet dies at home?

We understand how difficult it is at time of your pet’s passing to consider all of these questions so we encourage you to seek these answers beforehand to ensure you’re leaving your pet with the best possible option for you. At Kootenay Pet Cremations, we are no more than 1 hour away from the cities we service ensuring your pet is not travelling in a vehicle for unnecessarily long distances. We minimize the time your pet is in cold storage by cremating them as soon as possible. We will return your pet within 1 week and we will always return them in some sort of permanent vessel, whether it’s an urn or scatter tube, unless specifically asked otherwise. Finally, we’re here for direct calls to be there for you during one of the most difficult times. So our most important advice to you is to please stay informed. Ask your vets these questions, local businesses by working exclusively with vets. However, this can result in your pet spending up to six hours in transport, which not only contributes to unnecessary pollution in an already carbon-heavy industry but also negatively impacts the local economy. This model can slow the growth of smaller, local crematoriums that care about providing higher levels of care (more public facing).

Additionally, not all services include an urn, and it can sometimes take over a week to receive your pet’s ashes. Choosing local businesses helps support your community and ensures your pet’s care is handled with respect and dignity.

What do you find most rewarding about this work?

The most rewarding part of working in pet cremation is the opportunity to provide comfort and support during one of the hardest times in a pet owner’s life. Being able to help guide families through the process and knowing that we’re making a difficult experience a little bit easier is incredibly fulfilling.

It’s also deeply meaningful to be part of honouring the special relationship that pet owners have with their pets. The personal memorials we create allow owners to carry forward the memory of their pets in a meaningful, lasting way. Whether it’s a unique urn or a special way to celebrate their life, knowing we’ve helped families create something that holds sentimental value is truly an honour.

The ability to offer closure, and to play a role in the healing process, is what makes this work so rewarding. It’s about giving families the opportunity to remember their pets fondly, keeping their memory alive in a way that brings peace.

How do you balance running this business with your other professional careers?

Balancing a pet cremation business with our other professional careers is definitely a challenge, but effective time management and a strong commitment to our mission make it possible. Much of our work involves coordinating with vets after their appointments, so we typically operate outside of regular business hours—during evenings and weekends. We’ve had positive interactions with the public and haven’t had any issues with being available for our clients when they need us. As we continue to build relationships with more vets and grow the business, Shaq plans to transition to working full-time at Kootenay Pet Cremations.