About Me

My name is Rhoda Paton and I am the owner of the Edinburgh and Lothian Pet Crematorium. I have been an NHS employee for over 40 years and recently retired. I am from a big family of animal lovers and have always had an endless number of pets in my lifetime (most of them rescue animals – domestic and wild). Currently, I am mum to Ollie and Alfie, my cheeky wee pugs and very much-loved family members.

I have always been quite clear in my mind about what I wanted for my pets when the time came, but trying to achieve this proved quite difficult. There was no choice other than to leave them behind at the veterinary clinic. I decided to get the views of family, friends, colleagues and members of the general public prior to considering if a local pet crematorium was a service that was needed, and one that I could provide that would meet with their expectations. Whilst talking to these pet owners, I came to realise that they desired the services that I was contemplating offering. Pet owners were frustrated because there were no local facilities that could offer what they wanted, and at a time when they needed it most. Because of this, the majority of pet owners had no choice, other than to leave their pet at the veterinary practice, to be uplifted with many other deceased animals and clinical waste from around the county, and transported to the nearest pet cremation service – outwith Edinburgh, East and Midlothian and the Borders areas. 

A lot of pet owners said, that in their experience, it can sometimes be a lengthy time between them leaving their beloved pet at the veterinary clinic, to the time that they received the return of their pet’s ashes. They felt that this prolonged the grieving process, and they did not settle until their pets’ ashes had been returned to them.