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What you may not know about the aftermath of
animal remains
Photos and story by Amber Williams
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Ben Ulin shows off his award for “Showtime’s
Funniest Person in Iowa” in 1986, an ad
showing an upcoming performance at The
Comedy Shop at the Spaghetti Works. Image
courtesy of Ben Ulin
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Some people believe animals have no souls.
Others wince merely upon reading that. In this
story, it’s safe to say all involved believe
animals indeed have souls, and some go so far
as to consider pets their children. So, armed
with that amount of conviction, some topics
regarding animal care can be as taboo as Ted
Nugent showing up at a hippie festival wearing
a mink coat.
People love animals, but a pet’s story does
not always include warm milk and squeaky toys,
puppy tails wagging and kitty cats purring.
Even the heart-string tugs of Sarah McLachlan’s
TV commercials don’t give justice to what can
happen to an animal who isn’t adopted into a
safe home. Animal shelters, such as the Animal
Rescue League of Iowa and Furry Friends in West
Des Moines, say they do everything they can
to be preventative and pro-active when it comes
to animal care — turning “animals” into happy
and safe “pets.” But, as goes the cliché, the
devil is buried deep in the details.
That dirty word
All living things eventually die — one way
or another. Death. It’s a hard fact of life.
It’s so sensitive of a subject, in fact, that
some folks in the animal industry, such as shelters,
veterinary clinics and animal testing facilities,
are sometimes reluctant to divulge the unsavory
details of their business if they are not required
to by law. Words like “euthanasia” spark fires
among animal activists that can be difficult
to extinguish. Regardless of the politics or
morality of the issue, it’s a fact that some
animals are put down for a variety of reasons,
such as public safety, shelter space or extremely
poor health.
Regarding the latter, Animal Rescue League of
Iowa Executive Director Tom Colvin says: “We
get asked a lot, when is it a good time to euthanize
your pet, and that’s a tough one. You don’t
want to euthanize a minute too early or a minute
too late. As a pet owner, I go by the philosophy
that you just have to know your pet — when they
tell you they’ve given up and their quality
of life is not there anymore.
“Unfortunately, some people keep pets alive
for themselves instead of what’s best for the
animal. Veterinarians often say euthanasia is
the last kind thing you can do for your pet.”
Euthanasia involves injecting the animal with
sodium pentobarbital, which puts it to sleep
and stops its heart and brain. Some people choose
to hold their pet in their arms during the injection,
as the transition is quick, Colvin said.
“We tell people what to expect beforehand and
walk them through it,” he said. “Most people
want some quiet time alone with their pet after
that. It’s a very emotional time.”
The pet owner also chooses whether or not to
be a part of the on-site cremation of his or
her pet, and staff in that department said most
people choose to be present. Colvin said even
animals with no owner and the “dead-on-arrivals”
are treated with the same “kindness and dignity.”
“Our staff spends time with the animals. It’s
the same process,” he said, except the cremains
go to the landfill instead of into an urn.
Despite the compassion behind it, euthanasia
is arguably the least popular job function of
the ARL, sometimes pitting it against no-kill
shelters. But, as ARL Manager of Special Gifts
and Partnerships, Stephanie Filer, points out,
“no-kill shelters shut their doors when they’re
full, so they don’t have the space issue. So,
where do people go when they’re turned away?”
They go onto a waiting list, according to Britt
Gagne, director at the no-kill shelter Furry
Friends, 1211 Grand Ave., West Des Moines. Gagne
says, much like the ARL, it’s their policy to
advise and coach pet owners in an attempt at
keeping the animal in the home. But when that
doesn’t work, they either wait or find a shelter
that will take the animal.
“We’re always filling all the spaces we have,”
Gagne said, admitting there are likely times
when people on the waiting list turn to the
ARL, which has a policy to never turn an animal
away.
So, for a shelter like the ARL, space becomes
an issue, which is why the ARL built a newer,
larger facility in 2008 at 5452 N.E. 22nd St.
The construction of the new facility created
a domino effect with one thing leading to another:
new building, more awareness, more funding and
support, more preventative and adoption programs
and, thus, more adoptions. In fact, Filer said
the ARL hasn’t euthanized a perfectly healthy
animal due to space issues since last summer
(which was a cat), and no dogs have faced that
fate since the new building opened. (The ARL
was not willing to discuss the average number
of animals euthanized for space prior to 2008.)
“We’re very proud we have not had to euthanize
for space in that amount of time, especially
with the number of animals we have. That’s pretty
amazing,” Filer said.
ARL representatives don’t like to discuss euthanasia,
Filer admits — even those that are done for
safety and medical reasons. That’s why they
focus not only on the animals, but on “owner
responsibility” types of programs, such as dog
training classes and spay/neuter services.
“The way we look at it is that it’s our responsibility
to protect the public as well as the pets. That’s
why Animal Control is listed in the public safety
budget,” she said.
Whether it’s a safety risk, a severe medical
problem or a space issue, euthanasia is a last
resort among most professionals and pet owners.
But, should that time come, then what?
The last kind thing
Ideas of where the soul ends up after life
are left to individual beliefs. But what happens
to our remains — or to those of pets — is something
that can be controlled. For centuries, deceased
household pets would find a final resting place
under a tree in the backyard or even down the
toilet and cycled through the sewer system (depending
on the animal). In some unfortunate cases, they
“go for a ride,” never to be seen again.
Today, though, many city ordinances, such as
those in Des Moines and West Des Moines, ban
home burials of pets. So, people have come up
with alternative ways of dealing with the death
of their animals — some involving simply calling
animal control, others ranging from the extreme
to the odd. For example, pet cloning has become
an option for the wealthy. According to Discover
Magazine, a couple in Florida spent $155,000
to have their golden Lab cloned in 2009, purchasing
an exact DNA replica of their deceased pooch.
Others have also resorted to employing the services
of a taxidermist to keep their pet’s memory
alive, though it’s difficult to find a taxidermist
locally who will do it.
“We strongly discourage it, because most people
will be left unsatisfied,” said Jim Waltz of
Norwalk. His wife, Sondra, has been a taxidermist
since the late 1960s. “When you kill a pheasant,
you don’t know its every little nuance like
you do your pet. Your pet’s personality cannot
be captured in its face. It cannot be done.
People will never be satisfied. It’s not the
way to go.”
But if one is so determined, Waltz recommends
having the carcass frozen first. And most taxidermists
will require payments up front in order to protect
themselves from money-back demands that are
likely to occur. Most Des Moines-area taxidermists
say they’ve never done a pet and have never
been asked to.
“You don’t mount Mom or Dad and set them up
in a corner, so don’t mount your pets,” Waltz
advised.
So, perhaps the truly “last kind thing” one
can do for his or her pet is what was done while
it was alive: Treat it as a member of the family
— as a human. When a relative dies, we begin
the grieving process by viewing the body, attending
a funeral and tending to the remains in a ceremonial
way, whether they are buried or cremated. That’s
where places like LovingRest come in.
The smallest casket
Just north of Indianola, a former Lamoni police
officer is buried with his K-9 dog, Lady. They
rest in the “Honor Dogs” section of the LovingRest
Pet Cemetery. The gravestone they share is one
of approximately 350 others in the cemetery.
Among the dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, goldfish,
frogs, lizards, hamsters and other pets buried
at LovingRest, there are also five cremated
human beings.
“We take pride in the fact that people allow
us to take care of their babies after they pass
away — and that’s what pets are to many people,”
said Eric Martens, vice president of operations.
“I have not met one person who didn’t want to
do absolutely the best they could afford for
their pets after they pass away.”
It’s becoming an increasingly popular choice,
Martens said. Although LovingRest, located at
9924 Highway G24, serves about 98 percent of
the veterinary clinics in Des Moines, other
similar providers, such as Caring Friends Pet
Cemetery in Ankeny, Lensing Funeral & Cremation
Service in Iowa City and Memorial Pet Cemetery
in Waterloo, operate across the state.
Most pet owners cremate their dead pets because
it’s cheaper and it offers more options than
having them buried. They can choose to keep
the ashes in an urn, sprinkle them in a special
place, or they can bury them in the pet cemetery
marked by a weather-proof headstone.
“We have people out here weekly; we have people
out here monthly; and we have people who have
buried their pets and we’ve not seen them again
in 10 years,” Martens said. “The popularity
is still growing. It’s gotten huge since we
first started.”
LovingRest was started by current owner Jim
Johnson, who discovered there was a need when
his own dog, Teddy, died in the late ’90s. Teddy’s
was one of the first graves marked in the cemetery.
It reads:
TEDDY JOHNSON
Cemetery Supervisor
Overall Handi-Dog
When Teddy was buried, LovingRest began with
only one cremator. Now it has four, adding two
state-of-the-art human units (though they don’t
cremate humans) and one large animal incinerator
that is used for horses and group cremations.
Group cremations are the economic way to lay
a pet to rest, Martens explained. The animal
carcass is added to the incinerator with others,
and they are cremated together. Their ashes,
as one, are sprinkled in the “Scatter Garden”
in the cemetery, which is basically a rock garden
bordered by bricks, each brick bearing the face
and name of every animal laid to rest there.
Along with the Scatter Garden and the Honor
Dogs, the cemetery is divided into different
sections: the Garden of Love, which boasts large
headstones; the Estate, for animal lovers and
activists; the Pillow Section, where pets are
given a casket, a burial and a headstone; the
Gentle Giants, where large animals are buried;
and the Whale, where children can bury their
small fish, reptiles and amphibian pets for
free.
“We have a little bit of every type of animal
here, even some exotic animals, because we work
a lot with the zoo,” Martens said.
Some clients cremate or bury their pets and
leave it at that. But others hold actual funeral
services — one of which was for a cat that drew
nearly 40 guests, Martens remembers.
“We say prayers or read poems, and people share
memories and stories at the grave site,” Martens
said. “Then we lower the casket, and the owners
usually throw the first scoop of dirt onto the
grave or drop flowers or trinkets. Sometimes
being there for the entire process helps ease
the pain — knowing where your pet is — you watch
your pet go in the ground, and it helps with
closure.”
As with the euthanasia process, about half of
LovingRest pet owners are involved in the cremation
process, too, which involves simply placing
the animal’s body (which is inside a special
body bag) into the cremator and essentially
flipping a switch.
Martens said LovingRest handles only a handful
of pet funerals a year, an average of about
one burial per month and as many as one to 20
cremations daily. As the trend continues to
catch on among pet lovers around the state,
LovingRest grows and expands to supply the demand.
A two-story chapel is being built on site, which
should be finished this year, he said.
Regardless of one’s personal belief about whether
animals have souls or if a pet truly is a family
member, the truth is in the rows located at
pet cemeteries all over the country. To some
pet owners, being buried in the same plot as
their dog or cat is akin to any other loved
one, and the way their pets pass away and how
their remains are treated are important enough
to handle with that same care and respect. Death
is inevitable, but it seems those days of Fido
taking that fatal drive with Dad and Smith &
Wesson have aged out — at least in the metro
— and are replaced by a more sentimental humanity.CV
Caption: ARL Surgery Cat: The new ARL facility
includes three in-house vets and updated surgery
centers where dogs and cats like this one can
get spayed or neutered before being adopted.
Caption: Loving Rest Kitty Coffin; One of the
smallest caskets available at LovingRest Pet
Cemetery, equipped with the linen lining and
the pillow.
Caption: loving rest kelso grave: An example
of a “family grave” in the Estate Section of
the LovingRest Pet Cemetery. It includes both
humans and their pets. The crematory in the
background will soon include a two-story chapel
for pet funerals.
Caption: loving rest cremation: LovingRest
vice president of operations, Eric Martens,
in the process of a cremating the remains of
a client’s pet dog. The ashes will be boxed
with a poem and a piece of a golden heart (the
other half of which is traditionally buried
with the ashes) and shipped to the owner in
Grinnell.
Sidebar:
Top 10 reasons for owner release
Cats
Abandoned 1,629
Too Many Animals 414
Euthanasia Request 355
Moving 328
Can’t Afford 313
Unwanted Litter 279
Litterbox 200
Allergies 198
Behavioral Issues 165
Owner’s Health 140
Dogs
Euthanasia Request 554
Can’t Afford 278
Behavior Issues 268
Moving 262
Unwanted Litter 219
Too Many Animals 204
No Time For 139
Abandoned 131
Owner’s Health 93
Landlord 82
Source: Animal Rescue League of Iowa |
