Our timeline history:

2001 – We (Dan and Nancy Bates) started At Home On The Range Pet Cemetery on our 5th generation Family Farm, established in the late 1800’s, located in the hills West of Amsterdam, while Nancy was working at a Veterinary Clinic in Bozeman and Dan was running the Farming Operations.  Many deceased horses, dogs, cats and other pets were being sent to the landfill and we felt that pet owners needed a dignified final care option for their companions. Our very first burial was in the fall of this year and was a horse named “Moose”.

2002 – We started our web-site and offered a large variety of urns, memorial markers, keepsake items and grief support information to assist pet owners.

2003 – In the Spring of this year, we expanded our business by purchasing our first cremation unit (and also expanded our family with our 1st child!).

2005 – Horse Cremation was an option that many horse owners discussed with us. We purchased a larger cremation unit to accommodated horses and other large animals (and expanded our family with our 2nd child!).

2016 – This year we updated our website (which continues to have updates periodically), purchased a new Crematory for pets under 200# and Dan built us a new office with a family room for pet owners to have a longer goodbye with their beloved family member, if they so desire.  This room (or our yard, weather permitting) may be used for your veterinarian to meet you here if you would prefer not to have the euthanasia at your own home or at the Vet Clinic.                                                          

2017 – We added a new Horse Crematory to our business.

2018 – We are very proud to announce that we are the First and Only Accredited Pet Crematory in Montana!  Accreditation is a very prominent status for a Veterinary Clinic to obtain and the same goes for Pet Crematories.  We will have to get “re-accredited” every 5 years, so you can rest assure that we will always be providing you the very best service possible.

                                                                                                                                              What does Accreditation mean?

In an industry requiring very little oversight, other than environmental regulations and the usual business licensing, pet aftercare has been largely a self-regulated profession. Currently there are only 3 states in the United States that have any legal standards for pet cremation. With the introduction of the IAOPCC Accreditation Program, the IAOPCC has given the industry and the pet owner a measure of protection in the integrity of the pet aftercare processes from those pet crematories who seek out Accreditation and inspection.

Why is it important?

Accreditation benefits both the member facility and the clients it serves. Through the IAOPCC Accreditation Program, pet crematories are evaluated against a pool of more than 250 standards that represent the best practices in pet cremation care and pet crematory management. Our international Standards Committee task force continually update the standards to reflect the latest developments and improvements in pet after care, pet cremation techniques, records, cleanliness, staff and client safety, and a host of other areas essential to excellent pet and client care.

Member of IAOPCC since 2001

2020 – We added onto our business with a 2300 square foot addition and a new crematory, in order to continue serving the needs for our Pet Parents in a very timely manner. Having to say good by to our sweet beagle mix Mia (April 2020), we understand the need to have your family member back home ASAP.

We now offer:

– 10 Individual Cremation Units strictly used for Private Cremations Only – Witness Cremation is also available

– a Crematory that is for Horse Cremations and for other large animals

– a Crematory that is strictly for Communal Cremations

– Farm Field Burial (80 Acres)

– Cemetery Burial (1 Acre natural setting  – a marker may be placed at the burial site, with this options)

2021 – In Oct of 2021, Nancy Bates was elected as a Board Member for the International Association of Pet Cemeteries and Crematories. We have been members since 2001 and Nancy is very proud and honored to now be on the Board of Directors for this incredible International Organization.

Over the years we have added many furry and feathered members to our family, and have unfortunately lost some furry and feathered members of our family.  We personally understand the love for pets and the devastating loss of them.  When visiting us here on our family farm, you will encounter some of our pets – rabbits, cats, dogs, chickens, goats, horses and mules.  We also farm small grains (Wheat, Oats and Barley), so you will most likely see our Combines, Tractors, Sprayer or other large farm equipment nearby.

We truly love our business of providing a service for people at a time of great sorrow. Our goal is to always try to make the passing of a beloved pet easier.

Making decisions regarding the final care for your pet can be very difficult. Please do not hesitate to contact us or your veterinarian with any questions or concerns.

With warmest regards,
The Bates Family