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Animal burials will soon also be in a church
Pet owners can personalize the ceremony in the church. photo
© Silas Stein/dpa
For many people, their pet is part of the family. If it dies, they want to say goodbye appropriately. This will soon happen in a very special way in the Swabian Alb.
According to the Federal Association of Animal Undertakers, Germany’s first animal crematorium was opened in Munich in 1997. Today there are around 25 in all parts of Germany. At the same time, the number of animal undertakers has developed. It’s not just about love for animals: for many people, pets have become full-fledged social partners that they don’t just want to dispose of after their death, but rather give them an appropriate burial. Weinmann and her partner Florian Düsterwald bought the church where the Methodist congregation used to meet.
Customize your ceremony
The trained office clerk set up her own business as a pet undertaker with her partner three years ago and has been working with an animal crematorium in Schwäbisch Hall ever since. Weinmann says she buried hundreds and hundreds of animals. “Everything was there, from hamsters to horses.” Also a chattering parrot.
The animal owners can design the ceremony in the church completely individually, says Weinmann. “After the funeral service, the animal goes to the crematorium. The ashes, for example, return to the owners in an urn.” After cremation, the animal’s ashes can be buried almost anywhere.
“If the urn is not kept or set up at home, there is a large selection of perishable urns available.” Weinmann himself has the ashes of two deceased dogs hanging on a chain around his neck in a glass ball. You can also have your animal’s ashes pressed into a diamond or incorporated into a glass ball.