Abstract: A basket apparatus with enhanced strength for use with a water-based pet cremation machine includes a lower basket assembly having an inner compartment formed by a lower frame assembly that constructs a plurality of faces including a front face, a rear face, side faces, and a bottom face, each face having a perforated mesh coupled thereto, at least one divider disposed within the lower basket inner compartment to create a first set of compartments to store pets, an upper basket assembly disposed on the lower basket assembly and having an inner compartment formed by an upper frame assembly that constructs a plurality of faces including a front face, a rear face, side faces and a bottom face, each face having a perforated mesh coupled thereto, and at least one divider disposed within the upper basket inner compartment to create a second set of compartments to store pets.