Comparing providers
Looking for an alternative to Patch & Purr?
If you are weighing up cremation providers for a horse or a much-loved pet, you are almost certainly doing it on the worst day of your year. This page is here to make that comparison quick.
We do not publish other companies' prices, turnaround times or operating details on this page. Providers change how they work, and a comparison table written by a competitor is not a fair source. What follows is what we do, and the question we would want a family to ask us.
What to compare, point by point
The left column is what Harbourside does. The right column is the question we would want you to put to Patch & Purr — and to us.
| What matters | Harbourside | Ask Patch & Purr |
|---|---|---|
| Individual cremation for horses | Individual large-animal cremation, one horse at a time, with the same numbered SafeHarbour tag system used for companion animals. | Question to ask Patch & Purr: “Is my horse cremated individually, and will the ashes returned be only my horse's?” |
| On-property collection | Alby attends the paddock personally with purpose-built equipment, usually within 24 hours, and works around the family and any horses still in the paddock. | Question to ask Patch & Purr: “Who will actually arrive, and what equipment do they bring onto the property?” |
| Quotes for horses and large animals | Every horse, pony, steer, alpaca and large animal is quoted individually by phone, because weight, access and distance genuinely change the job. Call Alby on 0493 814 474. | Question to ask Patch & Purr: “Does the quote include travel, access difficulty and disposal, or are those added later?” |
| After-hours emergencies | Answered 24/7, including colic and paddock emergencies at night, with no after-hours loading. | Question to ask Patch & Purr: “Who takes the call at 1am, and is there an after-hours fee?” |
| Who is trusted with the work | Referring equine practices and organisations including NSW Mounted Police, Racing NSW and REC Equine Specialists. | Question to ask Patch & Purr: “Which equine vets and organisations refer families to you?” |
| Return of ashes | Usually within 5–7 business days, returned in person, with a signed certificate and the option to hold them as long as needed. | Question to ask Patch & Purr: “How long will it take, and how will my horse come home?” |
| Individual cremation | Individual only. One companion in the chamber at a time, never partitioned, never shared — there is no communal option on our price list. | Question to ask Patch & Purr: “Is my pet alone in the chamber, or is the chamber divided between several pets at once?” |
| Proof it is your pet | SafeHarbour Verification: a numbered stainless tag stays with your companion from collection to return, with each stage logged on your private tracking page. | Question to ask Patch & Purr: “How is my pet identified at every stage, and can I see that record?” |
| Who answers the phone | Alby or Rachael, personally, at any hour — including nights, weekends and public holidays. The number is 0493 814 474. There is no call centre and no answering service. | Question to ask Patch & Purr: “If I ring at 2am, do I reach the person who will actually collect my pet?” |
| After-hours and weekend fees | No after-hours surcharge, no weekend surcharge, no public-holiday surcharge. The package price is the price. | Question to ask Patch & Purr: “Is there a surcharge for after-hours, weekend or holiday collection?” |
| Aftercare | Free grief resources to download, a free public tribute page for your companion, and no time limit on how long we hold ashes for you. | Question to ask Patch & Purr: “What support is there after the ashes come home, and is it charged for?” |
| Independent feedback | 132 Google reviews at 5.0 stars, published on our Google Business Profile where we cannot edit them. | Question to ask Patch & Purr: “Where can I read reviews you do not control?” |
What families tell us made the difference
- One person, start to finish. Alby collects, attends the cremation and returns the ashes himself wherever distance allows.
- A numbered tag they can see, not a promise they have to take on faith.
- No surcharge for the call that comes at midnight, because that is when most of these calls come.
- Horses and companion animals handled by the same family business, so a household that loses a dog and later a horse deals with the same two people.
If you have already booked elsewhere
You are allowed to change your mind, including after a clinic or contractor has taken your pet or horse. Ring us and we will make the call and arrange the handover for you — you do not have to have that conversation while you are grieving.
Where we work
Companion animals: Port Macquarie to Ballina, west to Nana Glen — including Coffs Harbour, Kempsey, Grafton, Yamba, Byron Bay and Lismore.
Horses and large animals: Brisbane and the Gold Coast through the Northern Rivers and Hunter to Sydney, the Illawarra, the Southern Highlands and west to Tamworth.
Verified on Google
What families say after their companion comes home
5.0 out of 5132 Google reviews
They dropped everything to be here the day I lost my boy.
“I could not recommend Alby and Rachael highly enough to take care of your beloved fur family. The empathy and support they provide is second to none. They made an already difficult process so reassuring. And I trusted them to take the best of care of my boy.…”
Stephanie ThompsonChampion Jockey · Sky Racing Expert Commentator · Gold Coast QLD · with her heart horse “Dunk” Treated with such kindness from the very first call.
“Alby and the Harbourside team were so kind and compassionate when we lost our beloved Lydian. From the first phone call we felt looked after — nothing was rushed, nothing was outsourced, and every detail was handled with such care. Having him returned home to…”
Lydia SmithFor Lydian · Google Review They understood she was family, not ‘just a bird’.
“Our cockatiel Pippa was with us for 18 years — through three house moves, two kids growing up, and every morning coffee on the verandah. When she passed I was nervous about ringing around because some places really do treat small pets like an afterthought.…”
Hannah WilkinsonFor Pippa · Cockatiel · Google Review
Questions families ask us
- Is Harbourside an alternative to Patch & Purr for horse cremation?
- Yes. Harbourside provides individual horse and large-animal cremation with on-property collection across NSW and South East Queensland. Every large animal is quoted individually by phone — call Alby on 0493 814 474.
- How do I compare two cremation providers fairly?
- Ask both the same short list of questions: is the cremation individual, how is my animal identified at each stage, is there an after-hours surcharge, what is included in the price, how long until the ashes return, and where can I read reviews you do not control.
- Do you charge more for after-hours or weekend collection?
- No. There is no after-hours, weekend or public-holiday surcharge at Harbourside. The package price is the price.
- Can I switch providers after my pet has been collected?
- Usually yes, and it happens more often than people expect. Call us and we will contact the clinic or contractor and arrange the handover on your behalf.
Talk to Alby about your horse
Large animals are quoted individually, on the call, with travel and access included. No obligation, and no pressure.