Pet cemetery brings solace to owners
Source: Xinhua |
November 24, 2011, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
UNDER the tiled roof of a neat wooden cabin, beneath a black marble tomb, lies Lele. The tombstone inscription reads: "My dear, you were most gentle and lovely. We are forever a family."
The Pomeranian dog died suddenly in May. It had been with its owners, Wei and his wife, for more than 10 years.
Every weekend for the past six months, the couple have driven an hour to Lele's tomb in woods in a northern suburb of Beijing.
Different kinds of tombs surround Lele's; from simple stone to ornate structures protected by glass. It gives the place the look of a cemetery for humans, but beneath the earth lie dogs, cats, birds, fish, ducks and monkeys.
"Lele was very close. Losing him was like losing a family member. We wanted a decent place to bury Lele so that we could visit him and continue taking care of him," said Wei, a professional in his mid-30s who declined to give his full name.
Tears filled the eyes of the couple as they stood in front of the tomb on a November morning.
They found the Baifu pet cemetery on the Internet.
Tucked away in lush green woodland in Changping District, the eight-hectare cemetery provides a serene resting place for more than 3,000 animals and also offers cremation services.
Such cemeteries have started to spring up in big cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu.
"There are around 200 pets buried or cremated in Baifu every month now. In 2000, when the cemetery was established, only eight pets were buried here during the entire year," said Chen Shaochun, operator of the Baifu cemetery.
The increase is mainly down to rising incomes, Chen said.
However, it is still only a small number of owners who can afford pet tombs.
Most deceased pets in Chinese cities end up beneath the lawns of residential areas and public parks, and some are simply thrown into the garbage, said Lu Di, director of the China Small Animal Protection Association.
Casual disposal of deceased pets has led to health concerns. "If not properly handled, dead pets buried in shallow graves or tossed into garbage dumps can easily spread disease," Lu said, a supporter of pet cremations.
Beijing city government planned to build nine bio-safety disposal facilities for dead animals years ago, but none have been completed.
Cremation costs also deter some owners. In Baifu, a cremation service and a modest urn will cost 1,200 (US$190) to 1,500 yuan. The minimum cost of a pet tomb is about 4,000 yuan.
The role of pet is shifting to family members for more and more Chinese owners, amid a growing sense of loneliness and couples choosing to remain childless.
"At first I could not understand why these people spent so much money on just an animal," said Du Huanying, a cremation assistant at Baifu.
"But I have seen genuine grief on the faces of pet owners and begun to understand their feelings," said the 35-year-old, herself the owner of two dogs.
The Pomeranian dog died suddenly in May. It had been with its owners, Wei and his wife, for more than 10 years.
Every weekend for the past six months, the couple have driven an hour to Lele's tomb in woods in a northern suburb of Beijing.
Different kinds of tombs surround Lele's; from simple stone to ornate structures protected by glass. It gives the place the look of a cemetery for humans, but beneath the earth lie dogs, cats, birds, fish, ducks and monkeys.
"Lele was very close. Losing him was like losing a family member. We wanted a decent place to bury Lele so that we could visit him and continue taking care of him," said Wei, a professional in his mid-30s who declined to give his full name.
Tears filled the eyes of the couple as they stood in front of the tomb on a November morning.
They found the Baifu pet cemetery on the Internet.
Tucked away in lush green woodland in Changping District, the eight-hectare cemetery provides a serene resting place for more than 3,000 animals and also offers cremation services.
Such cemeteries have started to spring up in big cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu.
"There are around 200 pets buried or cremated in Baifu every month now. In 2000, when the cemetery was established, only eight pets were buried here during the entire year," said Chen Shaochun, operator of the Baifu cemetery.
The increase is mainly down to rising incomes, Chen said.
However, it is still only a small number of owners who can afford pet tombs.
Most deceased pets in Chinese cities end up beneath the lawns of residential areas and public parks, and some are simply thrown into the garbage, said Lu Di, director of the China Small Animal Protection Association.
Casual disposal of deceased pets has led to health concerns. "If not properly handled, dead pets buried in shallow graves or tossed into garbage dumps can easily spread disease," Lu said, a supporter of pet cremations.
Beijing city government planned to build nine bio-safety disposal facilities for dead animals years ago, but none have been completed.
Cremation costs also deter some owners. In Baifu, a cremation service and a modest urn will cost 1,200 (US$190) to 1,500 yuan. The minimum cost of a pet tomb is about 4,000 yuan.
The role of pet is shifting to family members for more and more Chinese owners, amid a growing sense of loneliness and couples choosing to remain childless.
"At first I could not understand why these people spent so much money on just an animal," said Du Huanying, a cremation assistant at Baifu.
"But I have seen genuine grief on the faces of pet owners and begun to understand their feelings," said the 35-year-old, herself the owner of two dogs.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
