St. Louis Tame Pet Magazine sat down with Heartland Pet Cremation recently to ask some questions about what people can expect when they lose a pet at home or at the veterinarians office.

Justin and Frank pose for a Tame Magazine Production

“Loss of a Pet Information

Justin King of Heartland Pet Cremation answers some important questions about losing a four-legged family member.

Should I speak to someone before I lose my pet?  If so, why?

Absolutely. The more you can prepare yourself for the passing of your pet ahead of time, the more peaceful and comfortable the experience will be.  Even though it is something that most people can’t even imagine, and often say, “my little baby will never die,” it’s good to ask questions about how your family member will be handled and treated after their passing.

What arrangement options do I have when my pet dies?

When your pet has come to the end of their life, you have many options as to how to handle them. Some people choose to bury their pet at home or on a family farm. Not every family is able to bury their pet, so they may opt for cremation. Your vet most likely has a pet crematory where they send the majority of their clients. There are now companies, like Heartland, which are considered pet funeral homes, that honor the bond between owner and pet.

If my pet dies at the veterinarian what happens?

In most cases, if your pet is put to sleep at the veterinarians office, they are placed into a freezer and remain there until the veterinarian’s chosen pet crematory makes a weekly stop at the clinic.   At which point, the pet crematory takes them to their facility cremation.  The cremated remains are returned to the clinic, often at their next scheduled stop, so this process may take as many as 3 or 4 weeks. (see “Worry Free Cremation”)

What if my pet dies at home?

If your pet dies at home, you will most likely call your veterinarian to see what you should do. Your vet may suggest bringing the pet into the clinic where they can be picked up by the vet’s cremation company. However, many people have pets large enough that it is not an option. There are a few companies in the St. Louis area that will come to your home, much like a human funeral home, pick up your pet and take them to their facility and bring the cremated remains back to your home typically within a few days.

Why is the “Worry Free Cremation” important?

The number one question I get from families is, “How do I know I’m getting ONLY my pet’s ashes?” For this reason, we broke our process down into steps to assure families that they will be getting only the cremated remains of their family pet returned to them.

What support services does your company offer that others do not?

Other companies might not realize just how strong the bond can be between a pet and pet parents. We know first hand how devastating it is when we lose a pet and for that reason we provide many support services, from basic informational packets about common emotions when losing a pet, to working closely with a family therapist who specializes in pet loss and grief.

Why is this important?

Everyone grieves in a different way. Some people are immediately devastated by the loss, while other don’t feel the pain until they go to feed their pet, or let them outside to potty and realize they’re gone. Some people need to have a complete hands on experience with the loss and cremation or their pet, while others don’t want to think about the final arrangements any more than they have to. It is important for any company dealing with grieving families to be sensitive to their needs, and not try to force them into something they’re not comfortable with. This is the one of the most loyal members of the family that has brought an unmeasurable about of joy, and should not be taken lightly.

What are some common questions you receive?

The most common question we get is, “How do I know I am getting only my pet’s ashes back?” We have a 10 step process including allowing a family to be present for the start of the cremation, to inspect our chambers to make sure their pet will be the only one cremated at that time. With every set of cremated remains we return, we give a individual cycle tag (essentially a serial number) to the family that will correspond to our records, which pet was cremated in that cycle.

Another question people ask, “Are you available to come to my home on weekends, holidays, or at night?” Absolutely! You can not always plan the death of a pet, so for those unfortunate times when a pet dies at home, you can call and arrange for us to come to your home on a Sunday, Christmas day, or in the middle of the night.
What are clients most often shocked to learn (or things they may be unaware of)?

Many families mistakenly assume they have to use the company of their veterinarian’s choosing for cremation.  Because this is not the case, families need to make sure that their wishes align with those of the veteranarian. Specifically, a veteranarian may use a company that is the cheapest, or that they have used for a long period of time, thinking that is what the client would want. However, many families want to have the pet picked up sooner, cremated remains returned faster, and want to know they are receiving only their pets remains. Because your pet is your family member, you have the choice to decide what happens to them in every facet of their life.  You should let your veteranarian know what your wishes are.
Thanks Justin!”

This story reinforces what we all know is true about our furry family members.  True unconditional love regardless of the circumstances.

Military dog stayed loyal until the end

Family takes in Labrador that stuck by the side of their fallen son

By SCOTT HUDDLESTON
San Antonio Express-News

SAN ANTONIO – Even during his master’s last seconds on Earth, Eli was going to protect the fallen Marine.

After Pfc. Colton Rusk was fatally shot in a firefight in Afghanistan, the 4-year-old black Labrador retriever stayed at his side during the battle, fellow Marines said, crawling on top of him as his shield.

On Thursday, two months after his master was killed, Eli was given to Rusk’s family in a heartwarming event at Lackland AFB.

“Eli will forever be remembered by the Marine Corps as a dog that brought Marines home to their families,” said Staff Sgt. Jessy Eslick, who asked the family to take good care of the frisky bomb-sniffing canine.

“And most of all, have fun with him,” he added.

‘Part of the family’

Kathy Rusk said she felt as if a part of her 20-year-old son, who was shot by the Taliban on Dec. 6, in Helmand province, had been returned to her.

He had always talked about Eli, who refused to sleep on the floor and took up part of his cot, during calls home between missions.

“I know that Colton passed his love on to this dog, and that’s why he’s so loving,” she said. “He’ll just be one of us, part of the family.”

Thursday morning, she and her family stroked and snuggled with Eli, wiping away tears as the dog happily panted and wagged his tail.

They took Eli home to Orange Grove, near Corpus Christi, where they’ll keep him as a pet, along with their three German shepherds.

Eli is the third military dog adopted by its handler or handler’s family, said officials at Lackland, where the dog arrived on Sunday.

The base has one of the world’s premier training and care facilities for working dogs.

Raised around dogs

Darrell Rusk said his son and Eli had found two explosive devices shortly before his son’s death, less than three months into his deployment.

Colton and his brothers, Cody and Brady, had grown up around Labs, bulldogs and other canine pets, and “had ‘em chewing on their diapers since they were little,” he said.

The family first met Eli at Camp Pendleton, Calif., before Colton deployed on Sept. 23 — his 20th birthday.

The family was driving around when they spotted the two together.

“Colton jumped right in,” Kathy Rusk said, “and the dog jumped in, too.”

shuddleston@express-news.net

“I feel so guilty…..I didn’t cry this much when my mother died.”

“I just cannot understand why I am taking this so hard.”

The grief and pain from losing a pet is very real, deep and incredibly heartbreaking.  I meet with families every week who say one of the above statements and have trouble understanding why it is so hard.  Many people are unsure how to cope with the pain and start to feel personally guilty that they didn’t do more for their pet.

Heartland Pet Cremation's office manager, Frank

The love we share with our pets is as close to absolute unconditional love we as humans can experience.  Our pets accept who we are and forgive us unconditionally.  They don’t care about appearance, how much money we make or don’t make, whether we live in a big house, small house, or no house at all.  They accept without question our angry days, quite days, busy days, happy days and sad days.  Many will be able to read our emotions as well, they can tell when we’re sad and they want to snuggle.  They can tell when we’re happy and want to play.  They don’t judge us whether we’ve made mistakes, said something we shouldn’t have, or waste time.  To them, life is in the moment and only in the moment.

Pet owners who’ve recently lost a furry family member, should allow this grief to take place and not feel guilty about it.  It doesn’t take away from anyone you’ve grieved in the past.  There will come a time when every bereaved pet owner will be able to see that it truly was a blessing to be loved by a living being this completely without being asked for much in return.  Perhaps this is why their lives are shorter than ours; they are here to teach us an earthly example of true unconditional love.

During the winter holidays, your pets can be exposed to a lot of new items that they’re not used to seeing around the house.  The natural reaction from your pets, is to explore these new items.  Wrappers, ribbons, new plants, and human treats can all cause problems for your pets, and the last thing anybody wants for their pets, is a trip to the emergency room.   Here are a few things that as a pet owner, you may want to be aware of:

Chocolate- Chocolates can be a tasty treat for humans, but is can be harmful to our pets.  Professor Gail Anderson, Head of School Veterinary Science from The University of Adelaide says “Chocolate contains ingredients toxic to dogs, namely theobromine and caffeine. Potentially lethal doses are as little as 7 grams of baking chocolate or 60 grams of milk chocolate per kilogram body weight in dogs. That is as little as a teaspoon per kilo of dark chocolate, so little dogs and pups are at greater risk. Signs of toxicity include vomiting and diarrhea within a few hours of eating the chocolate, increased alertness and hyperactivity, then seizures and increased heart rate, with collapse and death possibly resulting within 12-36 hours of eating.”  Make sure that any chocolate treats are out of reach from your pets, including wrapped underneath a Christmas tree.

Ribbons- Cats and dogs alike will explore ribbons, bows, and wrapping paper by tasting them or playing with them.  Some will even have the determination to continue to eat the whole ribbon.  Dr. Anderson continues, “This foreign material does not block the gut immediately but passes into the small intestine and can cause the gut to concertina on itself and cause obstruction slowly. The animal will go off food and vomit occasionally until the bowel is completely blocked, when vomiting will occur frequently and illness progresses rapidly.” Be conscious of how tempting ribbons, bows, and string can be to our pets, and try not to let them play with these items, despite how much fun they’re having.

dachshund posing in a gift bag for Heartland Pet Cremation

Finally, Poinsettia, Holly, Mistletoe, and Pine can all be harmful to our pets, and even children. There is some controversy, mostly from those who sell flowers, whether or not poinsettias are poisonous. Actually, the flower itself is not poisonous but the sap that comes out of the leaves can cause skin and mouth irritation, and vomiting. If a pet or child ingests any of the plant, it can be treated by washing with soap and water.  The berries of the mistletoe plant are extremely poisonous. It is recommended that you remove the berries if you plan to have the plant around your house. The berries can cause excessive salivating, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive urination, heavy breathing and a fast heart rate.  Like mistletoe, the berries on the holly plant are poisonous. They are not as poisonous as mistletoe berries and many birds do live on them but they can cause gastric intestinal distress, vomiting and diarrhea in small children and pets. If you think a pet or child has ingested the berries, contact your doctor or vet immediately. If you bring a real Christmas tree into your home you must be aware of the dangers, to pets especially. It is inevitable that the needles will fall off a pine tree. If your pet ingests the pine needles there is a danger of their internal organs being pierced by the needles. It’s probably safest to buy an artificial tree. They don’t drop needles, they don’t dry out, and they are not a fire hazard.

Don’t be afraid of decorating your homes with Christmas plants, flowers, festive treats, fun wrapping paper, and ribbons. Just taking a few precautions and being aware of potential dangers can ensure that you and your family and your pets will have a wonderful holiday season.

Happy Holidays!!!

How to Help

Children will not want to say good-bye to their beloved pet.  They will first want to be given a chance to remember their pet and to relive the life that was shared.  This process will be an integral part for them to move themselves through the grief journey to saying good-bye.

In assisting a child through these emotions, a child will guide you in what help they need.  They will let you know when they are ready to talk, cry, or show emotions.  Forcing a child into talking about these feelings or forcing a prescribed set of steps onto a child will create some resistance.  As a model of healthy grieving, you as the companioning adult will allow the child to physically SEE a healthy way of grieving, therefore, creating the environment that they will need in mourning as well.

In this process of reliving the life that was shared, these are some things that you can do to assist the child:

• Allow the child to see you cry and to be sad.  While many people think that not allowing a child to see this is showing a sign of strength, it is actually showing a sign of weakness in not being able to show emotions.  A child will WANT to see these emotions.
• Set up a table in your home to display items that were important to your pet and the lift that was shared.  The “Tribute Table” will provide an active place for your child to place items that were special to the deceased pet and to the life that was shared with the family.  Items to guide the child to include on the table could include toys, treats, flowers, photos, blankets, etc.
• At a designated period following the death of the pet, assist the child in arranging a memorial service to pay tribute to the pet.  Let the child assist you in deciding on the readings, poems, letters, music, etc. that will play a part of the service.
• Plant a flower or tree in memory of the pet.  Place a rock marker at this spot.
• Create a personalized marker to place in the yard, complete with the child’s nickname for the pet.
• Assist the child in creating a journal, scrapbook or photo album.
• Allow the child to participate in the fi9nal arrangements of the pet’s body.
• As a family organize a donation drive for a local pet shelter in memory of your pet.
  

  How to explain the loss of a pet to a child

In talking to a child about the death of a pet, it is important to use the correct terminology to describe what has happened.  The use of words like “death,” “dead,” and “die” will not confuse the child as to the actuality of the event.  The use of words like “sleeping,” “gone to the farm.” And “adopted by another family” will only create confusion and unresolved grief feelings for a child.

Heartland Pet Cremation examines how to explain the loss of a pet to a child

While it is hard to watch a child who is sad, a natural instinct may be to take the pain away by getting another pet.  Allow the child ample time to grieve this loss, imparting that death is very much a part of life.

As a companion assisting a child, it will be important to allow the child to “lead” the journey through the grief process.  Children are natural mourners and will, in all actuality, teach us what they will need to mourn.

Children will mourn in doses and will have sadness spurts.  They will mourn, then play, mourn some more, then play again.  While this may seem like they are being disrespectful to other’s feelings of sadness, it is a very healthy way for youngsters to move themselves through to grief reconciliation.

Your role as an adult caregiver is to allow the child the space to grieve in his/her own way.  A child will not grieve in the same way as an adult and should not be expected to.

Your most important role – to model your grieving behavior in a way that children will feel safe and comfortable to express their feelings.  Adults are a barometer as to how children will grieve and will follow the lead that they are given.

Pet Cremation is becoming the most popular and most dignified way to remember your family pet.  In today’s world, when making final arrangements for your pet, burial in the family backyard comes with many questions:

• Will we be living here for the rest of our life?

People move more than ever and many don’t live in the same home for ten or more years.  For those considering burying a pet when they pass away, they need to carefully consider their personal situation.  Is there a possibility of a job relocating them to a new city? Would new family members require more space?  Would children moving out of the home create unnecessary space in the home requiring a relocation?

• Is this legal in my city?

Researching your local laws/ordinances within your city limits and/or county would be necessary to determine if you are legally allowed to bury your pet in your back yard.  In addition to legal issues, many pet owners live in a residence with no backyard like apartments or condominiums, making cremation a necessary option.

• Do I want to remember this sadness every time I go into the back yard?
• Will my other pets be able to smell their gravesite?

Many families struggle to answer these questions, and come to choose cremation as the best option for their situation.  Choosing cremation allows a family to have their pet with them at all times, remembered in a decorative urn or a paw print picture frame to

Paw Print Picture Frame Kits available for $50 from Heartland Pet Cremation

adequately memorialize their pet.  Cremation allows for the pet owner to spread a portion of the pet’s ashes at a park they enjoyed, in a garden they loved to dig in, or anywhere that was special to the pet and pet parent, while still keeping a portion at home.  Cremation allows pet parents the option to keep their pets forever, no matter where the go in life.

Heartland Pet Cremation offers 24 hour availability to assist pet owners and veterinarians. They provide services that many other companies do not.  Upon request, a copy of the paperwork will be sent to your vet to notify him or her of your loss. In-home removal services may be coordinated as well.  One thing is for certain, you can feel confident leaving the details to Heartland Pet Cremation. Visit our website at www.heartlandpetcremation.com or drop by in person to find out why our clients feel we are St. Louis’ best pet crematory!

Thanks to everyone who entered to win the iPod Touch while at the St. Louis Pet Expo last Saturday!  Heartland Pet Cremation was proud to be a part of it and we look forward to attending for many years to come.

Congratulations to Patricia M. from St. Peters!!! She is the winner of the iPod Touch!

Heartland Pet Cremation iPod Touch Giveaway Video

The unconditional love of your family pet is unlike any other experience that us as humans can imagine.  You treasure that experience even long after he or she has departed this world.  Any pet owner who has lost their furry or feathered family member knows how difficult it is to make a decision on what they should do with their remains.

When you are faced with the decision of where to have your pet cremated, you should consider the following:

• 

  Frank; Heartland Pet Cremation's Furry Office Manager

  Will the company give you peace of mind knowing that your pet is being taken care of in a professional and caring manner?

• Will they provide a quick response – waiting a week or more to have your pet picked up for cremation service vs. using a pet crematory that will provide 24 hour service?

• Will the company provide you with some sort of proof that your pet will be privately cremated, where they are the only pet within the cremation chambers at the time of their cremation?

• It is important for many of us to be present when our pet is cremated. You want to know that you have a compassionate company helping your though a most difficult time.
• Does the company welcome families to their facility, whether to be present for the start of the cremation or just to tour the company to get a better idea of who you will be trusting with the final care of your pet.
• Will the company offer a place for you to grieve and where your pet will be treated with dignity and respect and not just a part of a “batch”?

Heartland Pet Cremation offers  24 hour availability to assist pet owners and veterinarians. They provide services that many other companies do not.  Upon request, a copy of the paperwork will be sent to your vet to notify him or her of your loss.

In-home removal services may be coordinated as well.  One thing is for certain, you can feel confident leaving the details to Heartland Pet Cremation.

Heartland Pet Cremation is the only pet crematory in St. Louis that offers the “Worry Free Cremation” process, that guarantees your family pet is treated with dignity and respect and also receives a truly private cremation.

WorryFree Cremation Process™

1.  Your pet is secured with an identification card at the place of death that stays with them during the entire process.

2.  Your pet is kept in refrigeration storage until the time of cremation.

3.  At the time of cremation your pet is given a unique cycle number never given to another pet to insure you are getting a private cremation.

4.  The identification card and unique number are placed on the outside of the cremation chamber during the cremation process.

5. If you wish, immediately before cremation, you may see your loved one, pet their head and say goodbye.

6.  You can see that the cremation chamber is clean and empty.

7.  After the cremation is completed, the cremated remains are taken to the processing station and allowed to cool.

8.  The identification card and unique number are placed on the processing machine.

9.  You can wait in our waiting room, read a book, use our Wi-Fi and receive the ashes without delay.

10. This is the same process regardless of if the family is present or not.