Custom Casket Company - The Southern Funeral Director Magazine

A Pet
Lovers Lovers need
to to Provide
and Protect
by: Nancy Lohman
You’ve heard the stories-“rich widow leaves estate to
her Maltese”, “neighborhood woman rescues dozens of
dogs”……our devotion to our furry four-legged friends
can be as strong as any feelings we may have toward
fellow humans.
There is a positive correlation between the pet parent
who devotes time and energy into the care of their
furry family member and their need to ensure that
when “that time comes” they are equally as caring for
their pet.
26 The Southern Funeral Director � Alliance Cremation 2011
22 The Southern Funeral Director w Alliance NFDA & CANA Pre Convention 2011
So strong is that bond that many people include their
pets in their will, providing for them in the event they
may outlive their owner. No surprise, cemeteries and
funeral homes, who sense the consumer of today and
tomorrow are changing, are finding ways to appeal to
this niche market of pet lovers who desire to provide
and protect.
When evaluating the idea of starting a pet cemetery,
there are some helpful considerations you should
explore. Do you have the available land to designate
to a pet cemetery? Do you have the staff resources
to train and establish expertise in working with pet
owners? Do you have the marketing savvy to promote
your pet cemetery in order to gain a real foothold of
market share, enough to be profitable?
Although state statues vary, most pet cemeteries
go largely unregulated. For that reason, pet owners
find tremendous value in a reputable cemetery firm
expanding into the area of memorialization for their
furry family members. The confidence and security
of knowing a pet cemetery “will be there perpetually”
often hasn’t existed in a community. It is a welcomed
and untapped niche market. The choices have often
been: cremation or burial in the backyard. Often there
is no other alternative.
PIERCE M ORTUARY C OLLEGES
E XCELLENCE IN F UNERAL SERVICE E DUCATION
John Braboy, President
Mid-America College
800-221-6158 . www.mid-america.edu
The
Right
Choice!
Patty Hutcheson, President
Gupton-Jones College
800-848-5352 . www.gupton-jones.edu
Give Us A Call 800-527-6419
IN ACCORDANCE WITH TITLE VI OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 ( P.L. 88-352) STUDENTS ACCEPTED WITHOUT REGARD TO RACE , COLOR , NATIONAL ORIGIN , SEX , RELIGION , AGE OR DISABILITY .