Honoring a pet`s memory - International Association of Pet

• I
Honoring a
pet's memory
By Rita Colorito
ROUTSONG FUNERAL Home & Cremation
Services in Kettering, Ohio, a traditional
funeral home, began offering pet-loss services in 2005, after the owner's dog, Murphy,
died and funeral services were held for him.
"We quickly realized that what we do for our
families could certainly be extended to their
pets," says Lisa Routsong, director of pet-loss
services, which include cremation, memorial
services and an online memorial page for
deceased pets.
Saying goodbye to family pets once
meant burying them in the backyard or
letting your veterinarian dispose of them.
But just like everything else that now has
to do with our furry charges—Americans
will spend an estimated $53 billion on their
pets in 2012, according to the American
Pet Products Association (APPA)—even in
death, only the best will do.
"I couldn't bear the thought of the vet
'disposing of him,' " says Gina Roberts-Grey,
of Baldwinsville, New York, who had the
family dog, Bailey, cremated. Bailey now rests
eternally in a marble urn atop a bookcase in
Roberts-Grey's office.
Similarly, Julie Dales of Bloomington,
Indiana, keeps her cat Chelsea's cremains on
a bookshelf at home. "Her role in my life was
that of a family member," says Dales.
"The trend seems to be that people want to
keep their pet with them in their home. I've
also been hearing about people wanting to be
with their pet in the same urn. I guess pets
really are man's best friend," says Mary Hickey,
a Costco member and president of Renaissance
Urn Company in San Francisco, which began
offering wooden pet urns six years ago and
now sells several thousand each year. The urns,
46 The Costco Connection OCTOBER 2012
RUSNAKPHOTOGRAPHYCOM
also sold to veterinarians, funeral homes
and pet crematories,
have a shelf inside for the
pet's collar and tags.
Three out of 10 pet owners in an APPA
survey said they plan to buy some item for
their pets' remains or to memorialize their pet.
Whether you're burying a body or cremains,
you have more options than a simple shoe box
as a farewell enclosure. Pet caskets and urns
range from $30 for smaller pets and simple
materials, such as wood, to thousands o: dol-
lars for larger pets
and materials rivaling those used for their
human owners.
Many owners find pet cemeteries an
option worth considering. Founded in
1971, the International Association of Pet
Cemeteries and Crematories (IAOPCC,
www.iaopcc.com), based in Atlanta, has 175
members nationwide. In the last 10 years,
the nonprofit organization has seen a 10 to
NatureMade,
SAFELY MADE. PURELY MADE."
"[People] want to
where their pet
is and what happens to their pet."
—Doyle Sbugart
15 percent growth in pet burials. But the
greatest increase has been in demand for
pet cremation. Cremation and urn prices
are based on the weight of the pet, and
urns can accommodate any type and size
of pet, from the smallest gerbil to the
largest dog.
Pet cemeteries operate just like human
cemeteries, says Doyle Shugart, chairman of
the IAOPCC ethics and standards committee and owner of Shugart's Deceased Pet
Care Funeral Home, Crematories, and
Cemeteries in Atlanta. Burial prices average
$375 for burying the pet's body or cremains
directly in the ground, considered a "green"
burial, to up to $3,000 for deluxe burials that
include fancy caskets and granite markers.
Some cemeteries also offer mausoleums. All
IAOPCC members offer grief-counseling
services or resources. Again, pet cemeteries
aren't just for the extravagant.
"It's not that they want to spend a whole
lot on their pets, but they want to know
where their pet is and what happens to their
pet," says Shugart. Because pet cemeteries
aren't regulated by the Federal Trade
Commission, which oversees human cemeteries, Shugart advises choosing one that is
on deeded land, exclusively set aside for pet
burials, and that maintains a perpetual-care
fund (one resource is IAOPCC and another
is www.creaturesinheaven.com/cemetery.
html). "In case something happens, like a
flood, the cemetery can be brought back up
to standards," says Shugart.
Routsong's, Shugart's and many other
crematories, funeral homes and cemeteries
offer their services free of charge for service
animals, including therapy animals, guide
dogs and police dogs. "We know the sacrifice those animals as well as their owners
have made to help others, so we feel it's the
least we can do for them," says Routsong.
"Our primary reason for offering pet services is to help people in our community."
For eco-conscious owners, plenty of
options exist. Eternal Reefs in Decatur,
Georgia, offers sea burials and combines
pet cremains with concrete to form an
artificial underwater reef. R&S Designs
offers biodegradable pet urns that dissolve
in water in less than four hours.
For those who prefer to bury their
faithful companion in the backyard—in
areas where health and zoning codes permit—funeral homes and supply companies
now offer carved pet grave markers in
granite, marble and rock. Freeze-drying, a
process similar to what game hunters use to
preserve their catch for display, gives owners another way to keep their pets with
them forever. Based on the pet's weight and
size, and starting at about $1,000, this service is being offered by more pet cemeteries. "The pet looks like he did whenever he
left home," says Shugart. W
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Rita Colorito frequently covers pet issues
for various magazines and websites.
Sites and services
Traditional cemeteries and funeral
homes have also begun adding pet gravesites
and services for grieving owners. In 2009,
the International Cemetery,
Cremation, and Funeral Association created a related organization known as the Pet
Loss Professionals Alliance
(www.iccfa.com) to handle
this growing market.
Routsong's pet services have grown steadily
over the last five years,
averaging 15 pet cremations or funerals per
month. "Some months we
care for more pets than we
do humans," says Routsong.
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Costco members can find a
selection of brass and wood
urns on Costco.com (search
"pet urns").
t This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug
Administration, This product is not intended to diagnose, treat
cure or prevent any disease.
WAREHOUSE/COSTCO.COM { AVAILABLE NOW
Item #590598
OCTOBER 2012
The Costco Connection 47