23/08/2011

NEWS

Our visit to Summerleaze Pet Crematorium

Both our head nurse Sadie and Yolanda, who along with being one of our nurses based at Barnstaple has a diploma in companion animal bereavement counselling, have recently visited Summerleaze Pet Crematorium.

As you may know this is the crematorium that we use for all of our private and communal cremations, and in the light of some recent bad press that pet crematoriums have had, we thought that it would be beneficial for us, as a practice and for the benefit of our clients, to actually visit the premises.  The setting itself is gorgeous, and the staff are professional in their approach.  Sadie and Yolanda witnessed both individual and communal cremations taking place.  Summerleaze operate their crematoriums 24 hours a day and individual means individual. 

The staff were very open when answering their questions and while they do not allow owners to attend their pet's cremation (for health and safety reasons), the owner are more than welcome to bring their pets and use the chapel of rest and sit in the memorial gardens.

Summerleaze have stringent procedures in place to ensure that the animal being cremated is correctly identified, labelling every stage with the animal's details from the actual cremation through to the casket room.  There is one person in charge of each animal, to keep mistakes to a minimum.  Summerleaze will NEVER provide ' token ash' on request.

Both Sadie and Yolanda felt confident from talking to the staff that the service they offer is excellent and worth the cost, and the firm's open and honest approach to the subject makes them trustworthy, we as a practice would certainly feel confident leaving our own pets with them for cremation.