A dignified end for pets.Byline: RANDI RANDI Random Integer RANDI Recognition and Identification RANDI Research Ambient Noise Directionality Model BJORNSTAD The Register-Guard CORRECTION (ran 11/27/02): Local veterinarians Veterinarians and veterinary surgeons (vets) are medical professionals who operate exclusively on animals. Well-known and notable veterinarians include:
An animal shelter is a facility that houses homeless, lost or abandoned animals; primarily a large variety of dogs and cats. pay rendering plants to take away the bodies of dead animals. A story in Monday's City/Region section about pet cremation cremation, disposal of a corpse by fire. It is an ancient and widespread practice, second only to burial. It has been found among the chiefdoms of the Pacific Northwest, among Northern Athapascan bands in Alaska, and among Canadian cultural groups. erroneously characterized the business relationship. DESPITE HER GRIEF at the sudden death of her much-loved Chihuahua, Amanda Rolfe knew right away that she would have 6-year-old Kita cremated. "A lot of pet owners don't even know it's an option," said Rolfe, who works at the Greenhill Humane Society A humane society is a group that aims to stop animal suffering due to cruelty or other reasons. Examples Examples of humane societies include: The Humane Society of the United States, Peninsula Humane Society, American Humane which was founded in 1877 as a network of . "But I know that cremation is what I would want for myself, so I believe it's the right choice for my animals, too." For one thing, she couldn't face the idea of burying a pet and later moving and having to leave it behind, Rolfe said. And the other common alternative of leaving the body at a veterinary office for disposal - which generally results in selling the remains to a rendering plant to be turned into fertilizer, animal feed or cosmetics - filled her with horror. So when Kita died, Rolfe contacted Rest Assured Pet Cremation, a business David and Laura Hagey opened in Springfield's industrial district in February. Rolfe had met them through her work at Greenhill, and found them to be a caring couple. "It was a great relief to be able to do this, to have control over what would happen with Kita after her death," she said. At Rest Assured, pet owners choose from private cremation, which costs more but guarantees that they will receive their pet's ashes, or the less expensive communal cremation if they want the service but don't wish the remains returned. The cost varies with the type of cremation and the size of the animal - anywhere from $20 to $150 for private cremations and between $10 and $80 for communal cremations. Several area funeral homes have conducted pet cremations for years, but usually without advertising the service. Last week, Rolfe and her partner, Danny Valenzuela, drove to Rest Assured with Kita's body cradled in a decorated box. In a homey reception area, Valenzuela sat on a couch petting the Hageys' 4-month-old mastiff mastiff (măs`tĭf), breed of very large, powerful working dog developed in England more than 2,000 years ago. It stands from 27 to 33 in. (68.6–83.8 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 165 to 185 lb (74.9–83.9 kg). puppy, Jordan, while Rolfe filled out the necessary form and leafed through a catalog of lockets Lockets are a confectionery product manufactured by Mars Incorporated. They are sold as medicated supplement to help nasal congestion and sore throats. They are available in multiple flavours including blackcurrant, menthol and honey. that conceal a tiny vial vial a small bottle. for ashes. They arranged for Rest Assured to conduct the private cremation and to deliver Kita's ashes to Rolfe at her office the next day. While some people want to bring their animals to the crematory cre·ma·to·ry n. pl. cre·ma·to·ries A crematorium. adj. Of or relating to cremation. crematorium, crematory a place where cremations are done. themselves, Rest Assured provides free pick-up and delivery from homes or veterinary clinics during normal business hours BUSINESS HOURS. The time of the day during which business is transacted. In respect to the time of presentment and demand of bills and notes, business hours generally range through the whole day down to the hours of rest in the evening, except when the paper is payable it a bank or by a , with an additional fee for services provided after 6 p.m., David Hagey said. "It really depends on what people feel comfortable with," he said. "Some people want to stay here for the whole process. Others just want to know that the cremation has been done. It's like when a person in a family dies - people have really different ways of dealing with it." The Hageys, long active in breeding, showing and judging mastiffs, decided to pursue the idea of opening a pet crematorium cre·ma·to·ri·um n. pl. cre·ma·to·ri·ums or cre·ma·to·ri·a A furnace or establishment for the incineration of corpses. crematorium Noun pl -riums or more than two years ago after two of their huge dogs died within a few days of each other. "We had them cremated at a local funeral home, and it was fine," Laura Hagey said. "But we could see the need for a place for people to take their animals, where the cremation of pets would be the entire focus. And, having been involved with a lot of other 'dog people' through the years, we knew how hard it was for them as well as us to deal with the disposal of our pets." The couple initially sought permission to open a crematorium on their acreage in Marcola, but several neighbors vigorously protested their application, and the county denied it. But then the Hageys learned that Springfield has a specific provision in the city code that allows for the burning of animals and other refuse in heavy industrial areas with a special use permit. Just as they became ready to open the business, another of their mastiffs died, so they performed their first cremation on their own animal, Laura Hagey said. "After that, there were no surprises," she said. "Everything has gone really smoothly." Although demand varies, Rest Assured has handled as many as 10 private cremations a day and up to 1,000 pounds of communal cremations a week, the couple said. In addition to working with most Lane County veterinarians, they perform cremations for free for such nonprofit groups as Greenhill and Willamette Wildlife Rescue. Carol Titus, a veterinary technician A veterinary technician (also called a vet tech), is a person trained and licensed to assist veterinarians. Their job is similar to that of a nurse. Job description who also raises dogs for show, said the crematory seems a far better option than leaving pets' remains to a rendering company. "Nobody really liked that solution," she said. "I think the veterinary community has welcomed Rest Assured with open arms - I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. of any vets who don't want to work with them." Veterinarian veterinarian /vet·er·i·nar·i·an/ (vet?er-i-nar´e-an) a person trained and authorized to practice veterinary medicine and surgery; a doctor of veterinary medicine. vet·er·i·nar·i·an n. Roberta Boyden, who works part-time for two animal clinics, said the crematory's existence has allowed her to begin a new service of her own - offering in-home euthanasia euthanasia (y  'thənā`zhə), either painlessly putting to death or failing to prevent death from natural causes in cases of terminal illness or irreversible coma. . Before, she
didn't have the means to help people dispose of a pet's
remains afterward.
In-home euthanasia is both "sad and amazingly beautiful," Boyden said. "There's so much love pouring out between people and their animals - there's often crying but a lot of smiling, too. Veterinarians work so hard to save lives, we sometimes tend to forget we also need to help with death." When their huge Irish wolfhound Irish wolfhound, breed of very large hound whose origins may be traced back many centuries in Ireland. The tallest of dogs, it stands about 34 in. (86.4 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs about 140 lb (63.5 kg). Its rough, wiry coat is usually gray in color. , Bebhinn - pronounced bev-in and meaning "grace" in Gaelic - developed cancer, Sue Dockstader and Steen Mitchell decided to treat her at home as long as possible and then have their veterinarian, Sandra Smalley, come to their house for the euthanasia, followed by cremation through Rest Assured. An earlier wolfhound wolfhound: see Irish wolfhound. had dropped dead of a heart attack at the vet's office, with uncertainty about how to dispose of To determine the fate of; to exercise the power of control over; to fix the condition, application, employment, etc. of; to direct or assign for a use. See also: Dispose the body exacerbating their trauma, Dockstader said. "We always felt really guilty about that, so having this opportunity to plan and do things the way we wanted was like a gift." Some people might think it odd to care so much about what happens to a pet after death, but having a full range of options - from rendering to burial to cremation - makes practical and emotional sense, the couple said. "All the things we wanted to happen, we were able to make happen," Mitchell said. "We were really glad about that. Our animals give us so much - we feel we owe them just as much." REST ASSURED PET CREMATION What: Provides cremation for household pets up to 200 pounds; includes pick-up and delivery from homes and veterinary clinics. Where: 3520-J Olympic St., Springfield Contact: 746-0244 Related services: Several area funeral homes also offer cremation, but without transport. One business, If Puppies and Kitties Had Wishes, offers transport but not cremation. CAPTION(S): Amanda Rolfe and her partner, Danny Valenzuela, share their grief after delivering the remains of their pet Chihuahua, Kita, for cremation. PAUL CARTER Paul Carter is the name of:
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