General News
10 August, 2023
“Everybody’s pets are like family”
PET owners grieving the loss of their beloved friends now have access to pet crematorium thanks to a new business, the first of its kind in Camperdown.
PET owners grieving the loss of their beloved friends now have access to pet crematorium thanks to a new business, the first of its kind in Camperdown.
The business, More Than a Mate, gives pet owners the option to affordably cremate their pets through a private or communal cremation.
Owner Kelly Molan said the business idea came from the death of her neighbour’s dog back when her and her partner Greg lived in Donovans, South Australia.
“They had him for 17 years or something, and they had to pay a ridiculous amount of money to have him cremated,” she said.
“We looked into it then, but it was going to cost too much, and we couldn’t get it going.
“At the end of last year, an ad for this came up on Facebook; a fella was selling the whole business on Buy, Swap and Sell.
“He’d started it in Barongarook in Colac, but couldn’t get it off the ground, so we bought it off him. He started trying to do it during COVID, and because it wasn’t an essential business he couldn’t get it up and running.”
The business offers owners the option to receive their pet’s ashes back or to have their pet cremated with others and the ashes scattered.
Urns, boxes and jewelry are also available for holding pet’s ashes.
Ms Molan said everybody’s pets are like family these days.
“Everybody absolutely loves their pets and treats them like a member of the family, so when the time comes and they pass away, they want to treat them like any other member of the family and farewell them with a proper sendoff,” she said.
“We’ve got little scatter tubes that come with a standard cremation; they get a certificate to say they they’ve been individually cremated, and that is there animal’s ashes.
“There’s a little card that they get as well, and if they choose to they can have a little lock of their fur or a feather or whatever in the card, and a footprint as well.
“They also get a personalised card from us as well, condolences for losing their animals.
“It’s not a service people need until they need it, so I just hope that they remember our name and think of us and let us help them put when the time comes and their animal passes.”
Animals and ashes can be collected and dropped off through their services, with an online booking form available to owners.
The service also includes a Final Farewell room, giving pet owners an opportunity to say their final goodbyes before the cremation process begins.
Ms Molan said, as animal lovers themselves, staff at More Than a Mate understand the loss of a beloved pet can be devastating.
“Hopefully they allow us to help them to commemorate the life of their animal when the time comes,” she said.
“It’s not just dogs and cats, either; it’s birds and lizards and snakes and turtles, guinea pigs…any sort of animal really.
“From a Great Dane down to a budgie.
“People love their animals, and we totally understand that”
