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We know when we pick up our hunting buddy as a pup, we will probably outlive them, and somewhere between ten and fifteen years down the road we will send them away to the happy hunting ground. Ellen and I did exactly that with Jenny, our Vizsla of thirteen years, about six months ago. It was without question one of the toughest days of my life. Jazz, Jenny's predecessor, died in her sleep as all good dogs deserve. Jenny fought and suffered the last twelve hours of her life.
The shining moment of her last day was meeting an INCREDIBLE couple from Pets Remembered Cremation, a couple of miles from our home and blocks from where Jenny went for a walk nearly every day of her life. At 5 AM on Jenny's last day, Ellen called 651-366-4564, the number of Pets Remembered Cremation Service in New Brighton, MN. At 5 AM on a Monday, Skip Wyland answered the phone. Ellen was stunned. Ellen, who had no sleep that night, felt better after Skip talked her through the upcoming process. Four hours later we met Skip Wyland and Carol Noren, who started and own Pets Remembered.
Skip is a bird hunter and has been a funeral director for over thirty years. Carol's father was a hunter until he was 88. Carol was a pastor when she met and married Skip years ago. In 2011 they decided to open Pets Remembered. Skip and Carol have had a long line of labs; they understand hunters and dog owners and have a GREAT service I thought you should know about. Two dogs ago, they lost one of their labs and was looking at their options, which were few. At that time it was ten days to two weeks to get ashes back. We got Jenny's back by the end of the day, and we had closure that most of us are looking for in the loss of a great dog.
When they were considering options for their dog years ago, the only option was group cremation, which meant multiple dogs ashes mixed together, and you would only get a portion of your own dog's ashes. Jenny was wrapped in her blanket and sent to the happy hunting grounds in an oven where she was the only dog. The ashes we got back are ONLY hers. Their competitors charge by the weight of the animal, but Skip and Carol charge a flat rate. Jenny's cremation cost us $195, which included an urn, an ink paw print and locket of hair to remember her by, a very classy process.
Pets Remembered primarily cremates dogs and cats, but also do all pets, including rabbits, birds, mice, hamsters, rats, snakes and so on. They have even done a pot-bellied pig, alpaca, and miniature donkey. They also offer a service for horses called Head, Hoof and Heart.
Their cremation machine has a 200 pound capacity. It is similar to a human machine but shorter. It takes two to three hours at 1650 degrees to cremate a dog. The license fee for a crematory varies from state to state. There is no smell emanating from a crematory since the ovens operate at such a high temperature.
There has been a surge in pet cremation in recent years, just as there has been a surge in human cremation. A few years ago there were few options in the Twin Cities. Cremation is a much better option than digging a hole, which half the year in cold country isn't even an option. In addition, there are all kinds of horror stories of pets being dug up by coyotes and as people put in pools, out buildings and utility lines. One great plus we found was, at the end of the day, you take something home. You can spread ashes as you desire. We put some in the house, some in our back yard, some where Jenny went for her daily walk, and some where she went hunting. The urn for a 60 pound dog is about a quart in size.
Skip and Carol service the seven-county Twin Cities Metro area and offer pick-up service for pets, too. There is a pick-up fee and also the option of bringing your pet to their place about ¾ miles SE of 694/35W in the north Twin City metro. They also work with home vet euthanization services that charge $100 to $250, money I would have spent in a heart-beat for my dog that had a tough end of life, if I had known the service existed.
Skip said owners sometimes keep pets too long and some pets may not be comfortable in their final days. We owe it to our hunting partner/family pet for them to have a good pain-free quality life. I know Jenny was clearly in her last days and she was scheduled to be put down hours before she shut down. The euthanization process starts with a sedation shot so the pet feels no pain. Euthanization is a very peaceful way to go to end their suffering.
We learned a lot about cremation from Skip and Carol. There are two basic types of cremation: Group and one-at-a-time. Group cremation is also referred to as mass, partitioned, or separated (partitioned and separated refer to multiple pets in the chamber simultaneously, but separated or partitioned by space). In the process of group cremation the ashes are comingled, so while you may be getting some of your pet's ashes back, you are not getting all of your pet's ashes, and you are also receiving other pet's ashes.
One-at-a-time only means your pet is in the chamber alone, which is the only way that people are cremated because that is the only type of cremation that ensures you are receiving only your loved ones ashes back. This is the only type of cremation done at Pets Remembered, and you are welcome to watch your pet go into the chamber and see the door go down to guarantee your pet is being cremated alone.
When we were at Pets Remembered we were greeted by a great lab who wanted all of our attention, and now they also have a second dog. Dogs are part of their business, even part of their staff! They are dog people. They understand. They offer several options for urns including urns made of decoys and shot shells.
If you are in the final year or so of your dog's life you should get a hold of Skip and Carol at 651-633-4564 or visit their website, www.petsrememberedcremation.com. You will be glad you did.
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