When my first family dog died many, many years ago, I remember that my parents chose to cremate her. At first, my young mind couldn't understand why they'd want to do that (it just seemed weird), but after they brought her ashes back in a beautiful box and placed it on our living room shelf, I began to understand the peace and comfort that came with looking at it every day and remembering how awesome our lovable black lad had always been.
Many other people in the United States must feel the exact same way, because pet mortuaries and cremation services are growing. Initially a fringe effort offered by funeral homes in lieu of human cliental, people like Coleen A. Ellis of Indianapolis, who ran what she believed to be the country's first stand alone pet funeral home and later built the Two Hearts Pet Loss Center, which plans memorial services and helps pet owners grieve, are making it commonplace.
It no longer feels odd to announce that our pets are like our family, so it makes complete sense that these services, along with groups like the Pet Loss Professionals Alliance, "a committee of the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association," are gaining recognition.
Grieving is never a simple process, whether it's for a person we've loved or an animal who's been by our side for 10 years – it's nice to know there are people out there who want to help lead us through.
[Read the full AP article HERE]
Comments
Leave a comment