EDITORIAL – Dearly departed pets

As Filipinos remembered their deceased loved ones during Undas, public attention was drawn to a case involving another group of dearly departed: pets.

The city government of Bacoor in Cavite has ordered the closure of Ahjay Paws Aftercare Pet Crematorium in the city following the discovery of sacks containing 29 dead dogs and cats that were dumped on Oct. 29 in a vacant lot in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

Some of the sacks contained the pets’ names, weights and identification tags. This led to their owners and to the crematorium.

Yesterday, the National Bureau of Investigation said it would conduct a probe of Ahjay Paws for possible cases of estafa and environmental violations. As recommended by the Philippine Animal Welfare Society, the NBI is also coordinating with the police and other agencies for the inspection of similar facilities.

Pet cremation along with funerals have been gaining popularity as fur parents treat their pets like members of the family deserving of dignified treatment in death. The fur parents also want to keep the ashes of their pets in remembrance.

The services can range from P3,000 to P10,500 depending on the size of the pet and the type of package. Some companies offer coffins for viewing before cremation or aquamation, which is water-based cremation. An urn is provided, and clay or ink paw prints and the pet’s fur samples may be kept in jewelry or glass domes as keepsake.

Fur parents who believe their pets are worth that kind of attention and expense upon death deserve to get the respect accorded to their dearly departed.

If those offering pet cremation services do not understand this, they should close shop. And if they cannot understand humans’ love for their pets, they should be able to clearly understand what it means when a merchant fails to deliver the service paid for by a client.

The owner of Ahjay Paws Aftercare Pet Crematorium may never understand the bond between humans and their pets, but he must know the meaning of estafa.