The idea for Pet Pots came about in 2022 when my two best doggy mates Buster and Rocco passed away at 13 and 15 only a few months apart. I was devastated. After they were cremated, I struggled to find urns that I liked to house them. They had been my best mates for years and I wanted something special. 

Being a potter and woodturner in my spare time I decided to make my own urns for my boys. Once some family and friends saw what I had made, they put in orders for their pets who had passed away. Seeing what else was out there for people's pets after they passed, I decided to keep making urns and started selling them in 2024.

All Pet Pots urns are made by hand in my small solar-powered studio in Macandrew Bay, Otepoti Dunedin. Through the process of making, firing, glazing and finishing the urns and turning and sanding the lids, each urn takes a few weeks to make. Being handmade and using a range of materials, each urn is unique and perfectly imperfect.

I’m passionate about the environment. I love to reclaim and mix my own clay and like to experiment with different colours and textures by adding other recycled materials to the clay. Embracing imperfections also reduces the waste involved in production. All the lids are made from local timber, recycled from historic buildings or sourced from trees felled around Dunedin. I love finding the beauty in timber that might not have previously seen the light of day.

The best way to keep your pet pot surface clean is using a microfibre or other non-pilling cloth with water and diluted dishwashing detergent.   

The timber lids have been sealed using either beeswax, linseed or a natural oil-based sealant. While this will help to reduce the risk of staining, marking or splitting, it is still best to keep them out of direct sunlight and avoid contact with liquids. Wiping them over with a dry microfibre cloth is the best way to keep them dust free and looking their best.