Man says pet cremation co. never gave him dog’s ashes

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga — A DeKalb County man says he is still searching for answers after paying a metro Atlanta pet cremation company hundreds of dollars to cremate his dog, only to never receive the ashes.

Bradford Best told Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Ashli Lincoln he hired Fur-Ever Memories Petuary LLC after his dog, Thriller, died in March 2025. Best said he paid $315 for cremation services, along with a plaque, paw print and obituary, and was told the items would be ready within a week.

Best says he’s only received the posting of the obituary.

“I wanted to lay him to rest with honor and dignity,” Best said.

But weeks turned into months, and Best said he never received the ashes or the additional items. He said repeated attempts to contact the company were met with delays and excuses.

“I’ve been in a lot of emotional distress,” he said. “I just kept getting excuses on why my ashes, plaque and paw print weren’t delivered.”

A check with the Georgia Secretary of State’s office shows Fur-Ever Memories Petuary LLC is not registered to do business in the state.

Addresses listed on the company’s website also raised questions. One location led to a PetSmart in Midtown Atlanta, while another pointed to a vacant storefront in Jonesboro.

When reached by phone, a person who identified himself as a spokesperson for the company disputed Best’s claims.

“It’s Mr. Best’s responsibility to retrieve his pet’s ashes — it’s not on us,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson also seemed to contradict himself saying Best’s dog was cremated and returned to him and suggested Best’s complaints were driven by grief.

“I would say Mr. Best is acting out of grief. His pet was cremated and delivered back to him,” the spokesperson said.

When asked where the cremations take place, given the listed addresses, the spokesperson said the company uses a third-party provider but declined to identify that business.

The spokesperson also insisted the company is properly registered, contradicting state records.

Animal welfare advocates say pet cremation businesses are required to register a business license with state and local authorities under Georgia’s dead animal disposal rules.

They also note that cremation facilities are typically not located near residential or commercial areas due to health concerns.

Best said the most difficult part is not knowing what happened to his dog’s remains.

“I’ll just continue to pray about it, put my faith in God, and I trust and believe that He will work everything out,” he said.

The company claims the Jonesboro location is under renovation, but the property owner told Lincoln the space has never been used as a pet crematory.

Records also link Fur-Ever Memories Petuary LLC to another business, Legends Memorial Group LLC, after Best identified one of the individuals in the picture as the worker picked up his dog.

The company removed its profile picture online since Channel 2’s questions.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

TRENDING STORIES:

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]