Recently, as a social phenomenon, more and more people are starting to keep pets. In the past, pets were cherished as animals, but today, many people consider their pets to be their children or siblings, and they are now considered to be members of the family that live together.
For this reason, an increasing number of people hold funeral ceremonies for pets upon their death, just as they do for humans, and turn their ashes into diamonds as a memorial service on hand. We have therefore researched funeral ceremonies and memorial services for pets after their death.
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Why Is There a Growing Demand for Pet Funerals?
First, let's look at why funerals are now held after the death of a pet. In the past, pets were usually buried in the backyard garden. Now, however...
Pets Boom
The past few years have been called a pet boom era. Under the impact of the pandemic, people spend more time at home. Many families now choose to have pets such as hamsters, cats, and dogs.
Pets will pass away one day as they mature in their life cycle. Therefore, eventually, we will witness the death of our pets. Then, a series of actions will follow after the pet's death, such as burying the remains in a cemetery, building a grave to mourn the pet's death, having a memorial service at home, or turning their ashes into a diamond (memorial diamond) to keep on hand.
The Close Relationship with Population Density
Japan's population tends to be concentrated in urban areas. As a result, many people keep their dogs and cats indoors in pet-friendly condominiums or houses that don’t have a backyard.
The problem in this case, however, is that the pet cannot be buried in the yard of the house after its death. Let alone the death of a dog or cat, even a small pet such as a hamster cannot be buried. This is why pet cremation and funeral services are on the rise.
Also, many people living in such dwellings often make a home memorial service of the remains after the cremation of their pets or possess a portion of the remains as a memento, such as a memorial diamond, to be kept on hand for memorial services.
Conscientious Pricing
The increasing demand for pet funerals has increased the number of funeral homes, cemeteries, and other businesses and organizations that offer pet funeral services. As a result, the market for pet cremation and funeral prices has become transparent.
Pet cremation prices vary depending on the size of the animal, ranging from less than 150 USD (20,000 yen) for small animals, such as hamsters, to 300-450 USD (40,000-60,000 yen) for large animals, such as large dogs. In addition, the cost of a priest will be charged for a funeral service if there is a sutra reading, but the cost can be reduced if it is only for a funeral service such as a farewell ceremony. Considering that human funerals can be done with quite an affordable price is one of the factors of the increasing demand for pet cremation and funeral services.
What Is the Actual Demand for Funeral Services for Pets?
Let’s look at the demand for funeral services for pets.
According to an Internet survey by Sharing Technology Corporation, more than 60% of respondents said individual pet funerals are preferable. And over 10% wish for a joint funeral. In total, more than 70% of respondents believe that a funeral is the preferred method of condolence for the death of a pet. A significant number of people would like to have their pets cremated and buried.
The following types of pet animals often have the demand for a funeral after their death:
Dog
Cat
Rabbit
Hamster
In addition, nearly 80% of respondents say that a grave for their pet is needed after the funeral. A grave would allow them to visit and get comfort after the death of their pet.
Many people keep pet remains at home as a memento or turn their pet's ashes into a diamond (memorial diamond).
Reasons to Have a Pet Funeral
So why do we hold funerals for pets? This seems to have a lot to do with the significance of the pet's existence.
To Avoid Guilty Feeling
In the past, once a pet was confirmed dead, it was taken to an incineration plant to be burned. For smaller animals, burial is a popular form of selection. But for animals as large as a medium-sized dog, burial may not be sanitary, or a yard may not be large enough to allow for burial.
Therefore, if you ask a public health center to cremate your pet, it will be treated as disposal because it will be burned together with several other animals at an incineration plant. For those who have lived their lives with pets, which are considered to be one of their family members, the death of the pet is unbearable, but such cremation will cause even more pain and make them feel guilty for their beloved dog or cat. Therefore, many people prefer to have their pets cremated at a crematory.
To Treat Them as Our Precious Family Members, like Human Beings
With the development of food and medical technology, pets such as dogs and cats, like humans, live longer lives. In other words, pets that live with us for a long time are not just animals, but members of the family. It is then very common to want to hold a pet funeral after the death of a beloved dog or cat, or any other pet for that matter, to get comfort.
Funerals are said to affect helping people accept the death of their pets and speed up the recovery from the loss of their pets. Therefore, a pet funeral will help ease the sadness, stress, and regret caused by the death of a pet.
To Feel My Beloved Pet by My Side All the Time
Many people feel great stress at the death of a beloved pet. Even if they do not, the death of a pet makes them sad. Therefore, many people feel that they want their pets to stay with them forever and place all of their remains in an urn as a memento at home.
Portable memorial
A portable memorial is a form of memorial in which a portion of the remains places in an urn and placed on a Buddhist altar. Some urns are designed to be used as room decorations, so some families place the urn in a corner of their living room and feel that their beloved pet is always there.
A new method of memorial service attracting a lot of attention recently
The diamond funeral has recently gained attention and is considered the most beautiful and handmade memorial service in the world. Let's take a look at what a diamond funeral is all about.
A diamond funeral is a funeral in which a portion of a pet's ashes is turned into a diamond. They are also called memorial diamonds because they are created from the pet's remains.
LONITÉ™, the premier manufacturer of memorial diamonds(cremation diamonds), refines the carbon extracted from pet remains to nearly 100% purity and produces the memorial diamonds (cremation diamonds) in a device that replicates the same environment as natural diamonds grow.
LONITÉ™ cremation diamonds have the same brilliance and characteristics as natural diamonds. Moreover, since the diamonds are made from your beloved pet's remains/ashes, and the hair of your cats or dogs, the cremation diamonds will make you feel like your pet is still there accompanying you. Therefore, the sparkle of the cremation diamond is as beautiful as if your pet was shining.
In addition, since they are made from carbon taken from the remains/ashes, and hair of pets, the size, and color of the cremation diamonds (memorial diamonds) vary from pet to pet. Therefore, the beauty of memorial diamonds is that they convey your pet's uniqueness.
Many people place cremation diamonds with photos of their pets at altars and other places, but many have them made into wearable jewelry. Various types of cremation diamond jewelry are popular because they make people feel like they are with their pets whenever and wherever they go.
Of course, LONITÉ™'s cremation diamond (memorial diamond) jewelry is renowned for the beauty of its design and is available in a variety of styles, including:
Rings
Earrings
Bracelets
You can choose from three types of jewelry materials below:
Continuum silver
18k and 14k gold (yellow gold/rose gold/white gold)
Platinum
In addition to the three jewelry materials, you can customize your memorial diamonds, which are much more special.
Wearing the cremation diamond on the skin can help those who have not recovered from the death of a pet. It makes them feel they have never been separated from their pet.
Due to the prevention of the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, more and more people are keeping their pets at home these days. Accordingly, cremation and funeral services at the death of pets are also on the rise. In addition, many people are creating cremation diamonds(memorial diamonds) to keep on hand as a memorial service.
In Japan, which is becoming more urbanized, many people live in pets-allowed condominiums or single-family homes without yards and keep their pets indoors. Another reason for the increase in pet funerals is that they are affordable, despite the fact that cremation and funeral processes are similar to those for humans.
The reason why so many people want to use pet funerals and need a grave after the death of a pet is because of the positioning of the pet as a beloved member of the family. Many people feel guilty for their pets when they think of their pets being burned in an incineration plant and disposed of.
It is now common to take back the remains and place them at home for a memorial service at hand. By turning the ashes of your deceased pet into a cremation diamond, you can hold a memorial service at hand while seeing the sparkle of your pet, and feel like your pet is always close to you. Particularly, by making a piece of cremation diamond jewelry, you can keep your pet close to you as you can always wear it with you.