A “gentle, respectful option” for bereaved pet owners to inter their pets has won support from its first customers.

The service, Solace Aquamation (Bermuda), offers an eco-friendly alternative to burial.

“It’s been a long slog, but we are there,” said business owner Philip Mason.

His centre in Dockyard has used the high-tech procedure known as water cremation for about a dozen pet owners since the service got final approval a month ago.

Word was spread about the process last January when the late South African activist Archbishop Desmond Tutu chose it for a “green burial”.

An alkaline solution converts bodies into a harmless effluent that can be used to fertilise plants, while bones are reduced to a powder.

Mr Mason, who runs the business with co-owner Dara Smodlaka-Furr and her husband, Tim, said options for pet owners had been limited on the island — and sending pets overseas was costly.

“It’s difficult for pet parents who are distressed at the loss of their pet, who don’t have space for burial and do not want their animal sent to Marsh Folly for disposal.

“They are grieving and stressed, and we hope that our option gives them a bit of relief. It’s ecofriendly and gentle.

“Those that are comfortable with cremation are ultimately comfortable with aquamation — the term ‘water cremation’ is kind of an oxymoron to a lot of people until you explain the system.”

Mr Mason said the service could deal with “any pet from a goldfish to a 100lb dog”.

The procedure costs up to $470 for large pets, with options for a glass pendant containing some of the “ash” left at the end as a memento.

The company has a turnaround time of seven to ten days, but Mr Mason said there were quicker options available.

The service has been well received at the island’s veterinary clinics, he added.

“There is a bit of disconnect once an animal is euthanased. It’s a difficult moment. This gives the vets an extra service to offer people.”

He said the facility was not open to the public for viewing during aquamation for safety reasons.

But most questions are answered on the company’s website, and Mr Mason said he was “happy to answer any questions”.

He added that he was exploring avenues for selling the equipment in the United States to funeral homes and crematoriums interested in the offering the service for people.

“There’s a big movement now towards more earth-friendly decisions in death care,” he said.

Mr Mason said Bermuda was too small a market to introduce the service for humans on the island.

The final product of water cremation is safe for disposal in Dockyard’s waste water treatment plant.

Mr Mason said he was exploring the possibility through a soil expert from overseas to use the end results for plants.