7 May 2021
The leader in pet funeral services in France thanks to its brand “Esthima”, Veternity Group is now accelerating its development in Europe with the acquisition of PerPETuate, a Portuguese company, created in 2016. After a successful establishment in Germany in 2015, in Poland in 2018, in Belgium in 2019 and in the Czech Republic at the end of 2020, Veternity is deploying its ethical model across southern Europe with a strong starting point in Portugal. On this market of 6M pets, Veternity will rely on its 25 years of experience and on the strength of PerPETuate, to make Portugal a major market and become a leader in southern Europe with the help of a solid CSR strategy.
Veternity acquires PerPETuate, the reference in pet funeral services in Portugal
With PerPETuate, Veternity is marking its arrival on the southern European market, a major source of growth for the Group. The Portuguese market represents a high potential of growth for the international Intermediate Size Enterprise located in the North of France, on a growing market where 54% of the population own a pet. Created in 2016 PerPETuate is a real asset, its responsible and ethical strategy matches the values of Veternity, on a developing sector:
- PerPETuate is the first ecological pet funeral parlour in Portugal to offer personalised services for paying tribute to pets.
- 1st company in Portugal to distribute a 100% biodegradable ecological urn, transforming animal ashes into trees.
- Creation of the first and only “green cemetery “in Portugal, where a specific plot was made available for humans and/or animal ashes in Sintra Cascais natural park.
- More than 120 points of contact all over Portugal, in partnership with prestigious veterinary clinics and hospitals.
- The only company able to pick up pets at the customers home in less than six hours all over the country
- Exclusive partner of the first specific funeral insurance for pets (Fidelidade)
- Pioneer in traceability of the service via private access on the website
- PerPETuate owns 9 franchises on the territory in Aveiro, Braga, Coimbra, Faro, Leiria, Santarém, Setúbal, Porto and Viana do Castelo.
“2020 and 2021 are a turning point for the future of our Group. Our French company was created 25 years ago with a desire to offer more ethical funerals for pets. Veternity is today a growing into an international intermediate size enterprise. Leaders in France, we are now accelerating our development in Eastern Europe and in North America. With the acquisition of PerPETuate in Portugal, we are starting our activity in southern Europe, this market has a major growth potential. We are already committed to providing more ecological funerals for pets, and we will pursue our company’s CSR ambitions while accelerating the development of our service offers and the expertise we have built since our creation and with the help of our veterinary DNA.” Philippe Thomas, CEO Veternity
Veternity: an eco-responsible pet funeral service offer
Like Perpetuate, Veternity group has developed its activity while minimizing its impact on the environment. In 2021 the CSR strategy of the group is built with a responsible pet funeral service offer though the whole value chain, relying on local best practices and on BCorp requirements. Objective: develop the activity in a responsible manner and respectful of Man and of the Environment all over the world.
Washing water collection: On all of our sites our washing waters are collected, and UV treated before being discharged into specific pipes.
Landscaping: When establishing a new centre, Veternity ensures that each building blends in perfectly with its surroundings. Landscaping around our crematories contributes to a quiet and peaceful atmosphere and revegetation of the land.
High filtration large capacity cremation chambers
Memorial Forests: project of creation of Memorial Forests to offer families a place where they can mourn or simply to identify a spot where the ashes of their furry companion were scattered.
Acceleration of the expansion across the European market
In 25 years, Veternity has experienced a growing success and is now pursuing its international expansion. Present in 5 European countries and owning a network of more than 40 crematories and funeral agencies, the Group is accelerating its development in Europe. With operations in Germany, Poland, Belgium (centre plus agencies) and more recently in the Czech Republic, the group also targets new markets in southern Europe. After Portugal, Spain and Italy are now part of the countries where the group hopes to set up via partnerships with actors sharing the same ethical and CSR values. The Group has also been present in North America, another growth driver since 2019, with implementations in Canada and in the United States.