WHEN Laura Cassidy’s beloved dog, Charley, died suddenly of pancreatic cancer it came as a terrible shock to her and her family.
What softened the blow though, was the sensitivity shown to the Irvinestown woman at Cavan Pet Cremation in Belturbet.
As well as her dog’s ashes, which were tastefully placed in a little mahogany box with Charley’s picture on it, she received a lock of her pet’s hair, paw prints on a card, a death certificate, the ‘Rainbow Bridge’ poem and a large bar of chocolate for the grieving owner.
“The kindness and compassion shown was greatly appreciated. It’s made our loss easier knowing that others truly cared,” she said.
Ralph Dunne and Bill McKay run the pet crematorium in Belturbet. Mr Dunne said the idea for the business came after the experience of losing his own dog Garfield.
“I show dogs for a hobby here in Ireland and the UK and so does Bill. In 1991, I was lucky enough to win Best in Show at the Crufts centenary show with Garfield, who is a clumber spaniel,” he explained.
“In 2000, Garfield passed away and I chose the option of cremation. I chose a facility outside Belfast but when I got there, I had to leave him at the door of a warehouse. It was not a fitting way to say goodbye to my beloved and famous friend.”
On the journey home he thought about the possibility of setting up a service where families could take their pets to get full and proper closure with dignity.
“The seed was planted, so about six years ago I started this project,” he said. “It took some time to get everything in place. Bill had retired and decided to come over to Cavan and help at the crematorium. We opened in early 2020 just a few weeks before lockdown.”
Fast forward to 2024 and the crematorium has established itself as a respected business in the wider cross-border community.
The most important thing for Mr Dunne is that when families take their pets to the crematorium, they are treated with respect and dignity.
“Families also get comfort knowing that they have accompanied their pet to the crematorium. When they come back out of our quiet room [where the pet owners can say their last goodbyes in a peaceful space] they often like to chat about their pet and all the good memories they had,” he explained.
“This also helps in the healing process. Pet owners also get great comfort and reassurance that their pets’ ashes will be back with them within 24 hours or less.
“One piece of advice we would always say is to give yourself a little time before you have another pet and always consider a visit to a rescue centre.”
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