Michelle Welker smiles with her two children Maxwell Evans, 4, and Madeline Evans, 2, as her cats Amy Jean, left, and Pumpkin get comfortable on the kitchen table Tuesday, Oct. 20, at their home in Ogden. The wooden box holds the ashes of a third cat, Rocky, who was cremated in June. Photo credit: Sarah Welliver/Standard-Examiner
October 23, 2015
OGDEN — Not even death can separate Michelle Welker from her cats.
The Ogden resident is a long-time pet lover. She said having the ashes of her late cat, Rocky, at her home makes her happy, especially since she knows the ashes are purely of Rocky and not any other animal.
After all, the domestic short-haired cat was a member of her family for 15 years.
“(Having the ashes at home) makes me feel like I have a little piece of him still with me,” she said. “When I see the box on my dresser each day, I remember him and he is here still in a small way.”
Welker is one of a growing number of Top of Utah residents who are turning to the services of Myers Pets at Peace Crematory, 360 9th St. in Ogden, because they like the way the business allows them the opportunity to grieve for their animals and the professional way they handle cremation.
“You know they are doing the cremation in the nicest way possible,” Welker said. “Everything was open, clean and nice.”
Welker formerly worked as a veterinarian technician and she saw what happened as pets were euthanized at the veterinarian’s office.
She said the common practice is for deceased pets to be put into freezers until they could be picked up by cremation services several days after their deaths. Then, the ashes are returned to the pet owners who request them.
Welker said she couldn’t even think about anything like that for her beloved Rocky, who died in June.
“A companion’s love is never forgotten,” reads the Myers Pets at Peace Crematory website. And Welker said that’s how she feels.
She said the cost of the cremation services, which starts at $99, was well worth the peace of mind she got for taking her cat there after he died.
Sherry Bradford said she received the same feeling of comfort after the cremation of her dog, Fredrick William, who died in September.
Both women said they constantly enjoy the companionship of their living animals and have incorporated pet companionship into their daily lives.
And they said handling their pets’ deaths in much the same way society has established for human loss has helped them in their grieving process.
Myers Pets for Peace Crematory even allows for tributes similar to obituaries on its website, and pet funerals. A pillow-covered pedestal allows for a deceased pet to be placed in the middle of a grieving room where small groups may gather to pay respects and mourn before cremation occurs.
The room also features a window where mourners may watch as their pet is placed into the crematorium.
Bradford said she believes crematorium coordinator Mark Wangsgard has found his calling in life.
“He was very compassionate and very caring,” she said. “He just made it feel OK. He was willing to let you work through your moment.”
When Bradford arrived with her deceased dog, she said Wangsgard took the time to listen to her as she told about Fredrick William’s life with her. She said the dog always wanted her to pat his paw each night in a bedtime ritual.
Bradford said Wangsgard responded by offering to make an impression of that particular paw to aid her in reliving that memory with her pet.
Wangsgard said he understands the importance of a pet in one’s life because he was aided extensively by a pet himself. He said when his mother died, he was only 8. But he said a pet cat came into his life and saw him through psychologically to adulthood.
“That set the stage for the rest of my life to have a deep love for animals,” he said. “When people come in, they are crying and can share their feelings of that pet that meant so much to them. Sometimes, it’s hard.”
Wangsgard said he sees his role as important for those who want services because pet loss isn’t something society has dealt well with in the past.
Christina Myers, public relations director for the crematorium, said the business was born after her own family experienced the need themselves when holding a funeral in their home for a second dog to die within a two-week period.
“After hours of unsuccessful Internet searching, our family felt very disappointed with the lack of compassionate and dignified after-care services available in our community for our pets,” she said. “Recognizing the need for a unique and compassionate pet loss service and at the same time wanting to help comfort other animal lovers at their time of loss, we created Myers Pets at Peace.”
The Myers family also are the owners and managers of Myers Mortuary and Cremation Services.
Just like with regular mortuary service, Myers said pet loss counselors who work at the crematorium are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to pick up a deceased pet. Clients also may bring their animals to the crematorium.
Myers said the business hopes to not only help pet owners grieve but also to enjoy their animals in life.
The business will hold its first event celebrating pets at 11 a.m. on Halloween, Oct. 31. The public is invited to bring leashed pets to a pet parade, including a free photo booth and prizes for human and pet costumes, howling and pet-human lookalikes.
For information, call the business at 801-392-3620 or visit myerspetsatpeace.com.
Article by JaNae Francis for the Standard-Examiner newspaper of Ogden, UT, standard.net