Of Furry, Feathered, or Finned Endings
Three months may not seem like a long time to some folks, but with our pet funeral home officially opening up for business in December, the ninety day mark is a pretty good place to examine our results and progress. In early 2009, I would have told anyone listening that Oakey’s Pet Funeral Home & Crematory would be open no later than July 1st. It’s a good thing that I am not a betting man, because laying odds on that date would have certainly set me back on any wagers I had made! Due to a variety of reasons, we knew by summertime that our project would not be getting off the ground until at least October or November. When I finally cut the ribbon on December 4th, all the headaches, delays, and additional money outlays became a thing of the past.
Since our opening, we have served the families of over seventy-five pets who have passed away. As we anticipated, the cremation rate for dogs and cats is much higher than that for our human funeral homes. It seems that the days of burying Fluffy or Spot in the back yard are quickly becoming a thing of the past. I can certainly understand that, having left my family’s beloved Sweetheart beneath a flower bed at our former home on Laburnum Avenue. Cremation offers pet parents the chance to take their “babies” with them wherever they move to in this increasingly mobile society.
While the common denominator of those calling on our pet funeral home has been love, other commonalities have been hard to come by. Some families feel comfortable bringing their dog or cat directly to us, while others cannot bear to even think about doing it. Some families wish to purchase a piece of jewelry to wear a portion of their pet’s cremains in, while others look at us like we are batty when we offer this product. Some families are in no hurry to get the cremains or ashes back, while others have a sense of urgency and want the cremains back that very day if possible. As at our five human funeral homes, we believe that it is not our job to question what a family wants (or does NOT want). If we can do anything to make a tough time a little bit easier, loved ones of pets or people can rest assured that we will do it.
