BRAD HORN/Nevada Appeal Mike Webb, co-owner of M&B Pet Cremations, cuts oak for an urn at his Carson City shop on Thursday.
Wood, glue and varnish surround Mike Webb as he builds a small oak box at his desk.
There are uniform stacks of lumber squares nearby, a saw and, the biggest item in the room, a crematorium.
Webb, co-owner of M&B Pet Cremations, said it's easy to operate. What's more difficult to do is build the urns he puts the ashes in.
He said he tries to make the boxes look nice, but can refer customers to someone else if they want something more elaborate.
As he talked about how simple working the crematorium was, he opened the door of the machine. The business gets the body from one of the veterinary hospitals he has a contract with and then puts it in the machine and waits for the heat to rise. The process takes four hours.
After that, there's one more step.
"Everyone thinks you get a pile of dust and that's what happens," he said. "Actually you don't, you get a pile of real brittle bones."
So he grinds up the remains in a machine before putting it in a handmade urn and returning it to the customer.
Before Webb decided to open his own business in November, he studied under Dr. Vincent Euse at Silver Hills Veterinary Hospital for three years. Then, when the doctor announced he would retire, Webb saw a hole in the market.
He rents a space behind V & T Pet Clinic on 2230 S. Carson St.
Jean, his wife and co-owner of the business, said people consider cremations if their pet has become part of the family. They still want to have the animal near and know that the body isn't being harmed by something in their backyard or at a landfill.
"It's all in how you feel personally," she said.
It's not just for dogs and cats either. They've done birds and ferrets and can work with any pet up to 200 pounds. They do not accept clients directly, though, because the pet has to come from a veterinarian.
One of the important parts of the business for Mike Webb, he said, is that it is a local organization that deals with local customers.
"I want to see our animals stay in Nevada," he said.
• Contact reporter Dave Frank at dfrank@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.