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Over the rainbow bridge: The business of saying goodbye to our pets
P
ets are part of our family. We give them love and they return it a thousandfold.
In most cases, their lifespans are much shorter than ours. When we take a pet into our home, it is with the understanding that we will have to say goodbye to our furry (or scaly, or feathered) friend sooner than we'd want.
If the pet is small enough, and if the family has the yard for it, sometimes a simple burial in the garden will suffice. But the burgeoning pet mortuary sector shows that many Filipinos are willing to spend on professional services to help them as their fur babies travel over the rainbow bridge.
A growing number of companies, especially in the National Capital Region, now offer pet memorial and funeral services, including different methods of dealing with the remains.
Most people are familiar with cremation, the process of reducing the remains through the application of intense heat until they are ashes.
A newer process is aquamation, which also uses heat but in combination with a mixture of water and alkaline that will break down the body into its chemical components.
Launched by owner Sandra Lu in 2023, the Quezon City-based Paws to Heaven understands that every fur baby deserves a "gentle goodbye" using this method.
“So actually very bago pa, fresh pa talaga pero nakakagulat na in-accept ng mga tao ang aquamation service dito sa Philippines,” general manager April Martinez told GMA News Online.
(So actually it's still very new, very fresh, and it's surprising how the public has accepted the aquamation service here in the Philippines.)
After the family holds a short viewing for their pet, the remains are placed in the aquamation machine, which Paws to Heaven imported from the US.
The body is placed in a stainless steel vessel in the alkaline mixture at about 200 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
The process takes about three hours. The "gentle water flow" breaks down the body, liquifying everything except for the bones, which are then dried.
Martinez added that when they started out, it would take them about seven days to complete an aquamation, but as they grew used to handling the machine, "kaya na nami mapauwi ‘yung [we are able to send home the] fur baby from viewing, around two to three days.”
Touted as more environmentally friendly than cremation, aquamation is allowed in some countries for human remains as well—most famously, for human rights icon Desmond Tutu in 2022.
Paws to Heaven says that the process results in 20% to 30% more ashes, and their color is not white and not "burnt."
F
or pet owners who still prefer the traditional cremation, there are places such as Pet Valley Park and Crematory in Silang, Cavite.
Established in 2007, Pet Valley aims to provide compassionate afterlife services for beloved pets, including cremation services, eco-friendly burial utilizing natural decomposition processes, and memorialization options such as urns and other memorabilia.
The traditional cremation process packages start at P5,000, inclusive of urn and memorabilia, and takes two to three hours, depending on pet size and type.
According to business relations representative CJ Uy, most fur parents prefer to use such services for their beloved pets because “they seek meaningful ways to honor their pets' memories.”
“We provide a dignified farewell, closure and comfort, personalized memorialization and grief support. This reflects the growing recognition of pets as family members,” Uy said.
Uy said the benefits of cremation includes "flexible memorialization," accessibility, and a sanitary and hygienic process. Burial, meanwhile, allows visitation opportunities.
M
emorial and funeral services can also help those for whom dealing with the grief of losing a beloved pet is real, and even devastating.
Anna Cabrera, executive director of the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), said these various services can help owners cope with the loss.
"Cremation and other burial services for deceased pets have come a long way. Now, owners hold wake for their cats or dogs, and people are not laughing about it anymore," she said.
"The grief that hits a pet owner cuts deep. Why? Because it's their pets who probably saved them from depression, from loneliness. Pets are blameless, innocent, loyal companions until the very end. Thus, when they die, some owners want a wake or burial to preserve their memory," she added.
In the early 2000, PAWS started accepting requests from owners who wanted their pets buried at the PAWS Animal Rehabilitation Center (PARC) grounds.
Cabrera said these owners are mostly those who live in condominiums or apartments, or who reside abroad, or who simply feel the center is a safe space where they can talk with fellow animal advocates.
However, with the PARC's limited space, only around 500 deceased pets were accommodated. Cabrera said they had to stop accepting requests in 2021 as the burial grounds were already filled.
In 2007, PAWS opened a Pet Memorial Wall at the PARC grounds where pet owners can commemorate their beloved pets who have crossed the rainbow bridge.
For P2,500 which is good for five years, owners can dedicate a Memorial Tile to their fur babies and visit them regularly.
Cabrera clarified that the Memorial Wall is not a columbarium or a place to bury or keep a deceased animal's remains.
Currently, there are 525 Memorial Tiles, placed in memory of 425 dogs, 85 cats, five rabbits, two chickens, a hedgehog, a dolphin, a duck, a pigeon, a turtle, a goat, a pig, and a goldfish.
"Every year, people would troop to the Memorial Wall and bring their pets' favorite food, dress or toy. They light a candle, talk to each other, or some spend quiet time alone in a corner," Cabrera said.
She said a couple visits the Memorial Wall every year to light a candle for their rabbits, Maganda and Malakas.
"Sometimes, some people feel others seem to be going over the top for their pets that have passed away. But people deal differently with grief, we have to respect that," Cabrera said.
"As they express their overflowing love for their deceased pets, we hope people would also consider animals who are suffering and need help in memory of their dearly departed pets," she added.
As a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the humane treatment of all animals, PAWS raises funds for its activities through memberships, corporate sponsorships, and events.
PARC is open to visitors on November 1and 2 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A
lthough the price depends on the weight of the pet, Paws to Heaven said their aquamation services usually start at P4,500.
April Martinez said their service is not reserved only for dogs and cats.
"Pinopo-process namin lahat, minsan reptiles, ahas, tortoise, guinea pigs, hamsters. Universal talaga," she said.
(We process all animals, including reptiles, snakes, tortoises, guinea pigs, hamsters. It's a universal service.)
The service company may have only been doing this for two years, but for them, it's not just a "business." In fact, Paws to Heaven also offers free aquamation services for stray pets or those in animal shelters.
Martinez also said that there were times when they would see a dead animal outside their office. Without hesitation, they perform the aquamation for free.
“Gusto kasi namin pantay-pantay, yung lahat sila makaka-receive ng gentle na afterlife, yung maayos na goodbye.”
(We want them to equally receive the same gentle, proper goodbye.)
For paying clients, Paws to Heaven also offers pre-need plans, memorabilia packages that includes keepsakes such as necklaces, bracelets, and keychains; the pet's urn; a small portion of its fur; and preserved teeth.
For Paws to Heaven, it is all part of "afterlife care."
"Hanggang afterlife, inaalagan pa rin nila yung kanilang alaga," said Martinez. "Our clients always say, ‘Deserve nila 'yan e.'"
(Even in the afterlife, they're still taking care of their pets. Our clients always say, 'They deserve it.'")
There are many other companies that offer pet mortuary services. Just a few are Pet to Nature Philippines in Marikina, actually the first to offer aquamation in the Philippines; Ahjay Paw Squad Pet Service in Las Piñas, which offers burial will be at their private owned vacant lot; and Pets in Peace in Taguig, which also offers aquamation.
As they say, our beloved pets may be just a part of our life, but to our pets, we are their whole life. And with that, don’t they deserve a gentle and proper goodbye? — BM, GMA Integrated News
PARC (PAWS Animal Rehabilitation Center) is on Aurora Boulevard cor. Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights Quezon City
Paws to Heaven is at 955 Quezon Avenue, Quezon City
Pet Valley Park and Crematory is in Pook-2, Silang, Cavite
