Honor Pet opens a Comfort Center to reshape pet farewells in Los Angeles

StartupBeat Team
By StartupBeat Team July 23, 2025

 Honor Pet, the company reimagining pet end-of-life care, today announces the opening of its Comfort Center in downtown Los Angeles. Located at 717 Mateo St, in the city’s vibrant Arts District, this 10,000-square-foot facility is the first of its kind in the United States, offering a serene, supportive environment where pet parents can say goodbye in a way that reflects the love and bond they shared.

The opening of the Comfort Center comes at a time when pet ownership is at an all-time high and attitudes toward pets are evolving. Today, 82% of pet owners consider their pets to be family, and the Millennial and Gen Z generations are increasingly choosing pet parenthood over having children. Despite this deep emotional connection, end-of-life care for pets has historically been limited, expensive, and opaque.

“With death, there are no do-overs, which is why it’s so important to get it right,” said Honor Pet Chief Veterinary Officer and Co-founder, Dr. Shea Cox. “But for pet parents, the difficult decision to say goodbye often happens at busy vet clinics or through more costly in-home euthanasia services. We want to give families time to breathe, space to decide, and support to create the farewell that feels right.”

Honor Pet’s Comfort Center is designed to transform the experience of pet loss. Every detail has been considered to help families create a farewell that reflects their pet’s unique life. 

Features of the Comfort Center include:

  • Four private Comfort Rooms where families can spend as much time as they need with their pets prior to gentle euthanasia in a peaceful, home-like setting.
  • Interactive memorial stations, including a build-a-bouquet area for creating floral tributes and a craft station where pet parents can write notes that can stay with their pet through cremation.
  • A dedicated community space for grief support, educational workshops, and remembrance events.
  • Celebratory touches such as champagne toasts, allowing families to honor their pet’s life with gratitude rather than solely grief.

In addition to offering a more compassionate approach to pet euthanasia, Honor Pet is dedicated to a more environmentally-friendly solution. Traditional flame cremation releases approximately 535 pounds of CO₂ per cycle, or the equivalent of driving a car over 600 miles. In contrast, Honor Pet’s water-based cremation process, known as aquamation, emits no CO₂ and uses a fraction of the energy, making it the most sustainable pet aftercare option available. Beyond the Comfort Center, Honor Pet is also partnering with veterinary clinics across southern California to provide gentle euthanasia and aquamation services. 

Eli Harris and Shea Cox, Founders of Honor Pet

Eli Harris, Co-Founder of Honor Pet, explains, “The way our society approaches death is changing with less burials and more cremations. But cremation is incredibly taxing on the planet. With aquamation, we have an opportunity to say goodbye in a more intentional, thoughtful, tech-forward, and environmentally-friendly way. I’m honored to bring that to others through our Comfort Center.” 

Honor Pet is on a mission to achieve carbon neutrality. In addition to aquamation, the company utilizes an electric transport fleet, local vendors, and sustainable materials such as upcycled, recycled and reclaimed materials, soy-based inks, and compostable packaging. Additionally, for every pet cremated, a tree is planted, ensuring that each farewell leaves a lasting positive impact.

Finally, understanding that financial constraints should never determine a pet’s final journey, Honor Pet has also launched the Honor Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit initiative dedicated to providing dignified pet end-of-life care for families in need. The organization aims to raise $1,000,000 to support 2,500 families, ensuring that every pet receives the peaceful goodbye they deserve—regardless of their owner’s financial situation.