DE Assistant Features Editor

Ginger, a 9-year-old white Maltese, is the pet to William Crain and his family. In Crain’s eyes, Ginger has provided a source of comfort and company since both of his children grew up and moved away.

When Ginger dies, Crain said she will be treated as one of the family and buried near them in the Faithful Friends Pet Cemetery, which is near the site where Crain says he and his family plan to be buried.

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She has been the source of comfort and pleasure over the years, he said. I hate to even think about her passing away. Animals are living beings. Sometimes the bond between humans and animals is more intense than the bond with other humans. That bond is special, and it needs to be respected.

Crain is one of the co-owners of the Pleasant Grove Memorial Park, on Old Route 13 in Carbondale, a public cemetery which also encompasses the pet cemetery.

Crain said the pet cemetery was created about four years ago when he began to receive several inquiries regarding pet burial services.

We reserved a place separate from the main cemetery and near the lake as more of a response to a demand, he said. It’s not a huge part of our services, but it’s important. Many apartment dwellers, mobile home owners and renters don’t own the land it sits on. They don’t have the property to bury their pets.

Crain said half of the requests for pet burials are from people who plan to be buried in Pleasant Grove and want their pets nearby.

We recently sold plots to a man who had spaces in another local cemetery, but they would not bury his pets. So he bought spaces here, he said. He wanted his pets to be buried nearby.

Crain said Pleasant Grove carries a few styles of pet caskets ranging from $100 to $200 while cemetery plots cost $75. He said some of the caskets are simple while others are ornate with satin-padded liners and pillows.

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Pet caskets come in variety of sizes, he said. Casket companies even offer fish caskets, he said. Many people construct their own caskets. But they do need to make a solidly constructed resting place for their animals. You can’t bury them in a cardboard box.

Crain said flat bronze markers also can be purchased to adorn a grave site. He said several different designs that can dress up the marker can increase the $250 price up to $1,000.

Crain said the majority of plots are 2 feet by 3 feet and are only suitable for small animals, which is why they have only buried cats and dogs.

Peter Drown, executive director of the International Association of Pet Cemeteries, said pet cemeteries should provide the same services human cemeteries offer.

Cemeteries should offer the same thing all around, he said. People should even be able to request funeral rites at the burial.

Drown said there is an increase in inquiries both from people needing services and people wanting to start cemeteries.

We field about 20 to 25 calls a day inquiring about cemeteries, he said. There is a definite increase in pet burial services. Our organization has 160 members alone.

Crain said there is a difference between providing funeral services and burial services.

They bring the pets to the funeral home, he said. We don’t go to get the pet with a hearse.