As experienced pet-owners know, losing one's four-legged companion can be a traumatic experience. When an animal who has been part of your family household for a number of years finally succumbs to the grim reaper of the animal underworld, it can feel as though you have lost a relative. But what happens after your pet's death? The usual custom at veterinary clinics is for the clinic to incinerate the remains. But many would prefer a more dignified end. Moscow's first pet cemetery, the Ceremonial Services Center for Pets, a collaboration between the Moscow City government and private investors, has responded to the demand.
"Lots of people come to us when their pets have died," said a spokeswoman for the center. "People remember their pets for life and want to give them a proper burial." Situated on Mashkinskoe Shosse in Kurkino, a district in North-East Moscow, the center stands on two hectares of land with space for 30,000 animals. It offers cremation services for pets as well as transportation from owners' homes to the premises. Urns are then buried in plots of land or laid in slots within the necropolis walls. Urns vary in shapes and prices, coming in oak wood (at 10,000 rubles), ceramic (600 rubles) and metal (850 -1,000 rubles) amongst others.
"Owners sometimes like to witness the individual cremations, to know exactly what is happening to their pets." Individual cremation costs from 3,500 and increases according to the size and weight of the animal. Farewell ceremonies may be provided, even with background music.
"The farewell ceremony is just a way of saying goodbye, really," she continues. "The owners can look at their pet one last time, say a few words." Collective cremations are available at 1,000-2,000 rubles too, for owners who are not so concerned with urns and headstones but want to have their pet's remains dealt with more decorously than the vet's incinerator can manage.
Headstones can be picked for the land plot burials and memorial boards with inscriptions and photographs to seal the slots in the necropolis's wall. Land plots cost owners 5,000 rubles per year and a slot in the necropolis wall costs 3,000 per year.
Before the center's construction, ceremonial services were only available through purely private companies which offer cremation only. These private cremation services, such as Aloma or Pan-Vet, are available and easily found on the Internet.
They are usually open 24 hours and owners phone them up and have their pet collected for cremation. Aloma offers individual cremation between 3,500 and 4,500 rubles, as well as cremation in the presence of the owners, costing between 5,000 and 10,000 rubles, depending on the weight of the animal. Urns cost between 400 and 1,700 rubles and standard plastic ones are free.
"When our dog died about four years ago we just called the cremation service and then buried the urn in the forest not far from our country house," says student Olga Lazareva. "To tell the truth I think services such as clinics for animals and cemeteries are quite badly organized here in Russia. Often funeral services are not good enough for humans so imagine the situation for animals."
On the other hand, when the center opened, some animal rights' organizations claimed that the concept was simply a gimmick for the benefit of the rich and that people should learn first how to treat living animals. The cemetery even boasts a "Heroes' Alley" where purebred pets can be buried together, away from more ordinary strays and mongrels.
The relatively new complex in Kurkino, however, appears to be well organized and also includes a pet hotel and veterinary clinic. "Of course it is mainly cats and dogs that are buried here," the spokeswoman said, "but we do have horses as well. No fish," she chuckles. "Not yet anyway."
By Nathalie Cooper
