Individual Pet Cremation

Pet Bereavement Book Review - Bill at Rainbow Bridge by Dan Carrison

2012-01-16T08:58:00.000-08:00

Bill at Rainbow Bridge by Dan Carrison

A Review by Kevin Spurgeon, partner at award winning Dignity Pet Crematorium based in Hampshire (UK).

Having read countless pet bereavement publications over the years it isn’t very often that I’ve encountered a book dealing with pet loss that comes at you from a completely different direction. “Bill at Rainbow Bridge” does exactly that.

Before I started reading the book I had a couple of reservations and some preconceived ideas about what to expect - mainly because it was written by an American author who I’d not heard of before and because, to be perfectly honest, the illustrations weren’t exactly my cup of tea.

When I finally got round to reading the book I wished that; firstly, I had picked it up a lot sooner and secondly, that I hadn’t been naïve enough to have any preconceptions!

The book, although fictional, is based on the author’s own experience of pet loss and tells the stories of “Bill” (a deceased bulldog) and his former owner David. It starts with Bill’s arrival at Rainbow Bridge then switches back to David who, six weeks on from the death of his much loved dog is struggling to come to terms with his loss.

The story touches on many of the emotions that we experience when grieving for our much loved family pets and I found the concept of the reader coming to understand their own feelings by exploring the grief David was going through worked really well.

The book also offers great comfort through the message that hopefully, when we die, we don’t just disappear but our soul (the spark of life that makes us who we are – be it dog or human) lives on in another form. I caught myself welling up at various points during the book as it brought back memories of how I felt when I lost my own pets. I do hope there is a Rainbow Bridge where we all go to when the time comes.

For people struggling to come to terms with their loss I would suggest they read “Bill at Rainbow Bridge” alongside a pet bereavement help book like “Losing a Pet” by Jane Matthews. In addition it is also really beneficial to talk through your feelings with someone from the PBSS (Pet Bereavement Support Service - UK) or you can contact a pet bereavement counsellor like David does in “Bill at Rainbow Bridge”.

Either way I would wholeheartedly recommend reading this book if you are. It is available in the UK on kindle as an e-book and can be purchased at Amazon.co.uk or you can buy a hard copy for £9.50 (including first-class postage) via the UK distributor (tel. Caroline on 01406 331421 or email her at caroline.davis544@btinternet.com).

More information on Bill at Rainbow Bridge is available at or via the author’s Facebook page

For more help with pet loss & pet bereavement support please contact:

PBSS free telephone befriender service 0800 096 6606

Or visit the SCAS website for more information on pet loss

I hope you found my review helpful.

You can also visit the Dignity Pet Crematorium Facebook page for help, advice & information on pet cremation services.

Click here to visit our Facebook page!

All the best

Kevin

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
The Rainbow Bridge is a very well know poem that has helped countless pet lovers over the years.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
Author unknown
http://rainbowsbridge.com/Poem.htm

Individual Pet Cremation: Pet Cremation Services - do you go via your vet or...

2011-11-18T04:52:00.000-08:00

Individual Pet Cremation: Pet Cremation Services - do you go via your vet or...: When "that" time comes how many of us have thought about what after death care choices are out there beforehand? Many people only come fac...

Pet Cremation Services - do you go via your vet or to a pet crematorium direct?

2011-11-18T04:31:00.000-08:00

When "that" time comes how many of us have thought about what after death care choices are out there beforehand?

Many people only come face to face with that decision at the point of or just after the Euthanasia of their much loved pet. Nowadays most vets will offer clients the choice of only one company that can either cremate pets individually or en masse. It may be that the company being used also takes away the vet's clinical waste and does so at the same time (on a weekly basis) as the pets that have died.

This means that your pet will remain in a freezer until the next scheduled collection. When the van comes they will be taken away at the same time as other pets that have died that week and most likely alongside the practice's clinical waste. The van will proceed on it's round to other veterinary surgeries in the area before returning to the crematorium.

A standard weekly veterinary collection service

Of course none of this is described to us and we are told our pet will be "looked after"

and be "treated with dignity" but is being put in a bag, into a freezer then

into a van with clinical waste in the least bit dignified?

Another option is to take your pet away for home burial - but what if you move, your garden is too small or if your pet is simply too large to bury? There are pet cemeteries scattered around the country but there is no guarantee that they will close leaving you with the dilemma of whether or not to exhume your pet's remains?

The third option is to do your own research and choose a smaller more local pet crematorium to take your pet to. Normally if they are a specialist individual pet crematorium (don't forget to ask!) they will also provide a responsive collection service meaning your pet will not need to be put into the vet's freezer. They also usually handle your pet with a lot more respect and can guarantee a genuine individual pet cremation rather than a diluted version sometimes offered by the larger companies.

Dignity Pet Crematorium only offers individual pet cremation services

In some instances you can even have your pet cremated the same day and wait for their ashes (this normally attracts an additional fee). If not then you can normally have their ashes back in a couple of days rather than the couple of weeks if organised through the vet! The other advantage can be price as some vets make large profits from pet cremation services - but I will save that for another time!

For more information visit http://www.dignitypetcrem.co.uk/ or http://www.appcc.org.uk/ for your nearest APPCC member.

Pet Cremation Fraud on Fake Britain

2011-06-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

Here is the article on Pet Cremation fraud as featured on the BBC1 programme Fake Britain.

Please watch and share with other pet owners who may be interested as it makes the point that pet owners need to find out about the pet crematorium BEFORE needing them as all pet cremation services are different. Although this particular pet crematorium wasn't licensed it illustrates that many people (including veterinary practices) do not know what pet cremation methods are being used by different companies as they vary considerably from genuine individual pet cremation services at properly run pet crematoria such as members of the APPCC (go to www.appcc.org.uk for a list of members) to those companies that will cut corners to increase profits.

At Dignity Pet Crematorium we only carry out genuine individual pet cremation services.

Dignity Pet Crematorium - how to find a genuine pet cremation service

2011-04-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

One concern for many pet owners is the worry of whether they are using a genuine pet cremation service when the time comes to say goodbye to their much loved family pet. At Dignity Pet Crematorium we have tried to make clear exactly how each pet is looked after whilst in our care. As well as detailing our pet cremation working practices on our website we give clients the opportunity of leaving independent reviews on websites like thepet.net and our Dignity Pet Crematorium Facebook site. Feel free to have a look at what some of our clients have said by clicking the link below Dignity Pet Crematorium - Other Services on ThePet.net If you want more information feel free to email us at enquiries@dignitypetcrem.co.uk Bye for now!

Pet Crematorium Gardens of Remembrance

2011-03-18T04:36:00.000-07:00

Dignity Pet Crematorium has two areas where ashes can be placed after individual pet cremation. Owners can choose our Natural Woodland Area where ashes can be interred and a pet memorial can be used to mark the spot or it can be left natural. Our more formal gardens of remembrance contain a variety of pet memorials and ashes are interred within a pet casket or pet urn. Below are a selection of photographs showing our beautiful gardens in spring. Remembering your pet with a pet memorial is one of the many ways to help cope with pet loss and pet bereavement.

Gardens of Remembrance

Natural Woodland

Our Pet Crematorium and gardens

Natural Woodland