Getting the Perfect Memorial for Your Pets

With more people investing their emotions into their pets and feeling like they are family, there is little surprise that pet memorials have increased in popularity. With more than 1,000 cemeteries around the United States offering full service funerals and bereavement supplies, there is no doubt that this is the future of pet burials.

While there was a time when people simply buried their animals in the backyard, the last seven years have seen an increase in the demand for pet burial options. In fact, the process that offers a humanization of our pets through our emotions has helped these services to reach a premium price.

This can be seen across the entire pet care industry. In 2005, pet care as a whole say an $18.2 billion income, with only $13.2 billion of that being for the services of qualified vets. With the total exceeding $25.3 billion by the year 2010, more people are looking at new ways to care for their animals. This includes everything from simple pet services like walking and sitting, to burials and cremations. While the latter pair making an estimated for just under $150 million a year, it does continue to grow annually.

Since the times are changing, so are the burial options these people have. In fact, these pet cemeteries are allowing people to be buried along with their beloved animals at a fraction of the cost of a traditional cemetery. With the going price of burial an animal ranging from $1,000 – $2,000 with a simple coffin included at elite grounds to as low as $100 – $500 for simple locations, you can start to see how much the pricing can vary.

While this seems like a great idea, it is important to note that just because a location is a pet cemetery now, doesn’t mean it will be in a few years. While the area where is animals are buried are protected, additional surrounding land can be used for other uses if it isn’t protected. Since there are states with no regulations in place it is important that you check to see what the guidelines in your area are.

For the memorial process, one other element that should be touched on it cremation of your pet as this tends to be about 80 – 90% of what pet funeral homes handle. The typical cost can run as simple $25 and go into the thousands for more complex and detailed urns.

There are plenty of choices when it comes to the afterlife care of animals. With more people exploring these options, there is little doubt that the industry will continue to grow and the funerals that future pets have available to them will continue to become more elegant and elaborate.