By Deniese M. Dillon
Family pets play an important and intimate part in the lives of their owners. They offer
unconditional love, affection and loyalty beyond measure. Children learn valuable lessons as they are given responsibilities in caring for the pet. Many of us remember pets we had as children and how they made us feel.
For older members of the family, a devoted pet may provide a significant companionship that detours loneliness. Many pets dwell within the home, go on family vacations, enjoy birthday parties, weddings, bar mitzvahs and other family celebrations. Some families take their pets each year to a Blessing of the Animals ceremony at a church or other special location.
When such a pet passes away, it is natural for the family to want to honor this important member of the family as they recall significant memories and all the ways this pet has brought comfort and enjoyment to them over the years.
Do Dogs Grieve?
Recent studies have shown that dogs also grieve when a close family member or pet passes away. When a dog loses a companion, such as another dog or a human friend, he can react with signs of depression, decreased appetite, longer naps or be less playful.
It has proven helpful, if at home, to allow a dog to experience the fact that his beloved companion has died by having him close to the deceased to sniff the body and realize that the friend is no longer there. Such an experience can prevent the dog from searching for the deceased long after the body is removed.
Suggestions for helping a grieving dog may include spending more time with the dog, being more affectionate, allowing other pets and friends to play with the dog, etc. When the dog does not respond to these efforts or changes, it may be necessary to consult with a veterinarian for other treatments or medication. Certainly, the family should be able to rely on the dog’s veterinarian for advice when coping with a grieving dog.
Also, families should be sensitive to their children’s grief at the loss of a family pet. This
loss may be the first experience the child has had in facing the reality of death. Their questions should be answered with sensitivity, affection and honesty. Many of us can remember losing a pet when we were young, and that loss had a profound effect on us and how we thought of death.
Peaceful Paws
Dillon Family Services has expanded its service menu to help families when they experience the loss of a pet. Peaceful Paws, a garden for pet burials at Woodland Memorial Park in Sand Springs, has become a special place for pet parents to honor the memory of their pet. It is possible to have a pet funeral service if so desired.
Together Forever Whole Family Garden
Beyond this unique area is now a special garden at Woodland Memorial Park designated for pet parents and their pets to be buried next to each other in the traditional practice of embalming or cremation.
Together Forever/Whole-Family Cemeteries is a concept that is becoming more popular for families to consider when choosing their own place of burial. The ability to plan ahead and include their pet’s permanent location is attractive to many families. The pet parent can consider the options of the pet cemetery or the pet-parent whole family garden as they select the area that best suits their needs and desires for themselves and their pets.
The Preserve Offers Alternative Planning
The Preserve is an adjoining additional garden. It is the premier certified green natural burial for humans and pets in Oklahoma. Green natural burials have become a more common practice. Decisions regarding cremation can be a part of the decision as well, and that service is available.
As concerns over environmental contamination continue and as space planning becomes more essential, creative thought is being given to new ways to give dignity to a loved one, human or pet and their final resting place. The Preserve provides an option which can be good for the environment and give a sense of nature’s gentle way of absorbing the body.
Such processes do not include preservation of the body, such as embalming or cremation, but allow the absorption into the earth as nature allows. This can be achieved with biodegradable caskets or shrouds, which can be placed directly in the ground and do not require an outer burial container. This procedure is a way of caring for the dead with the least possible environmental impact. This practice allows the body to decompose naturally in a special location set aside for this kind of burial.
Green natural burials may seem to be a new idea in this country, but many cultures have performed this method of caring for their loved ones for many centuries. The concept is growing throughout the U.S. and is attractive when one considers that the earth is embracing our loved one in a natural and gentle manner.
At Woodland Memorial Park, green burials are in a park-like or forest setting and do not have monuments, such as those in other parts of the cemetery. Families can choose other ways to mark the burial spot with a native stone that can be engraved.
For more information, please call (918) 245- 4142 or visit dilloncares.com.
