For over 130 years, Fairmount Cemetery and Funeral Home has provided funeral services for Coloradans, making it one of the oldest cemeteries in Denver. But, as of 2023, funeral services are extending beyond just humanity — all the way to dogs, birds and beyond.
On Saturday, Fairmount Funeral Home unveiled its new cremation and funeral facility dedicated to all pets.
“I’ve wanted this for over 13 years,” says Diane Kandt, pet loss care provider at Fairmount. “This is where my heart is – taking care of these people that love their fur babies.”
Fairmount held an event on Saturday morning to announce the new program, display a new pet memorial for service dogs and answer any questions from pet owners.
A paw print-making station, dog photo truck and other local pet vendors were present.
The “pet loss” services will start at $395 and include a private cremation and an urn, as well as a keepsake box filled with fur clippings, a clay paw print, ink paw and nose prints, and forget-me-not flower seeds.
Other keepsakes, like memorial cards and personalized DVDs, will also be available.
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But the offerings don’t stop at simple crematory and remembrance items. The funeral home will also offer funeral and viewing services in a chapel, along with grief support.
Kendra Briggs, President and CEO of Fairmount, notes that the process comes from being able to provide services for entire families. She says, “You shouldn’t have to go somewhere else because your pet died. They’re your family, too.”
She also notes that the crematory will be individual, instead of communal cremation like at some veterinary crematoriums. Every pet will be cremated alone.
“We treat our pets like people,” Briggs says. “We wouldn’t cremate people communally. So, we won’t do that here.”
Regarding grief support, Kandt says that it may be more important than people believe.
“Folks get embarrassed to show emotion because it’s just an animal — it’s not just an animal. It’s a loved one,” Kandt said. “Pets give us unconditional love. They take us as we are. They take moment for moment, and they don’t ask us for anything but love back.”