Angel and her Bernese Mountain Dog, Yadi, represent companionship and comfort for those grieving the loss of a pet.
In September of 1996, Angel Askins rescued a Bernese Mountain Dog and named her Maggie. As delighted as she was to have this sweet animal as a part of her household, she had no idea the bond she would form with Maggie until the following November when Angel’s father passed away unexpectly.
“Maggie was my rock,” Angel recalls, adding that she grieved greatly at Maggie’s death several years later, as the dog had become a source of comfort and strength in her life almost from the moment she entered it.
At the time of Maggie’s passing, Angel was working in a traditional funeral home, helping grieving families at the passing of their loved ones. It was then she wondered why the same service couldn’t be provided for pet owners.
This planted the seed of an idea in Angel’s mind and heart that has recently come to fruition as she has opened Angel’s Pet Funeral Home and Crematory in Tulsa. Angel wants her pet funeral home to serve as more than just a place to help respectfully dispose of a family pet’s remains. She wants to provide a place of comfort and understanding where the pet’s family can say their final goodbyes and grieve without fear of judgment.
Having felt the deep affinity with her own pets and sense of loss at their passing that her clients are feeling, she can provide more than sympathy through the process. She is truly empathetic, as she remembers this experience firsthand. Her many years in the funeral business have helped her understand the grief process people go through at any type of major loss in their lives.
“Most pet owners will tell you their pet is part of the family,” says Angel. “The grief is very real.”
During such an emotional and stressful time, Angel knows that pet families need things to run as smoothly as possible. She is very accessible—clients only need let her know at their pet’s passing and she can pick the pet up as soon as possible from the owner or from the veterinarian’s office. Pet owners may also contact her to make prearrangements. The funeral home houses a lovely chapel where families may hold services and have a final viewing before the cremation if they so wish. In keeping with her spirit of compassion, Angel offers all of her services at highly affordable rates, knowing that grief is a heavy enough load at a time like this without the burden of extreme expense.
Angel’s funeral services and cremation are open to pets of all sizes up to large dogs. She has taken care of animals as small as a bird and as large as a mastiff. By helping grieving families in this way, she feels she is fulfilling the dream born so long ago with Maggie’s death. She plans in the near future to build a botanical garden with a parklike, comforting atmosphere so that pet families may come and scatter their pet’s ashes if they so desire and reflect on the life and memories they shared. If you and your family are in need of these special services, call today.
See more about A New Service to Honor Your Furry Family Members:
https://www.valuenews.com/a-new-service-to-honor-your-furry-family-members-news-article_4093
