For a man who loves animals very much and has dog or cat, the worst thought he can do is what will happen when his little friend dies. Kundera used to say that "dogs are our contact with paradise, they know neither out of malice nor envy nor out of discomfort". But their loss has to do with more "earthly" things: Where does a pet's body end up when it dies?
Ten, fifteen, twenty or so years of friendship and love is a whole life, it can hardly end up in the trash. Some owners will climb a mountain and dig to make the last nest. They will lovingly enclose, within a few inches of soil, some of their most beautiful memories. One such small, makeshift animal cemetery can be discovered on foot in the mountains of St. Petersburg.
What happens to the human soul when the pet is he dying? Markella Kaplani, M.A. Clinical-Counseling Psychology explains: "According to an article that reviewed many studies and was published in the journal Society & Animals in 2002, the death of a pet can be as painful as the loss of a loved one and lead their owners to go through same stages of mourning that they experience when they lose someone very close to them. In addition, this grief can be exacerbated if the owner was forced to make the difficult decision of euthanasia or felt guilty for not being able to protect his pet adequately to prevent his death. This is because we create a very strong bond with our pets, since we take care of them as if they were our children, they are part of our daily life, and above all, they love us and accept us unconditionally. ".
Because not everyone lives next to a mountain and burying the pet in a field may not be the best solution, in Attica one can find organized animal cemeteries. We visited one of them, Cats & Dogs, in Koropi. Its owners Thodoris Seferopoulos, technologist - agronomist of animal production and his brother Stelios explained the whole process of burial.
- How did the idea of creating a cemetery for pets start?
Our main occupation was a dog hotel, until at some point a customer asked us what happens when a pet dies. And we wondered too. We saw the legislation that is quite strict in terms of how you should manage an animal and we went into the process of making this space. He had to be stylish and handsome because it is a purely psychological issue. We enable customers to have burial options. From group, individual to combustion. It is not nice for an animal to be in your house for years and go to the trash. Every weekend we have over fifty visitors.
- What are the reactions from the people who visit you?
The truth is that animals give us love and emotions are very strong. It is a loss. In the first phase we try to calm down the client and let him understand that he leaves his animal somewhere, with dignity. It is a cemetery where he can shape his space as he believes. There is the individual process which means that it enters an individual coffin, and at the point of burial a plate is inserted where we will write the name and a code to know where each animal is and from there on someone puts photos or a flower or , what else does he want. There is also mass burial which is more economical.
In an animal cemetery, one can also choose cremation and within an hour take the box with the ashes. In the facilities, in Koropi there are two incinerators, one small for the light animals and one big for the heavier but also for the group burns.
- And what is the process, where do you get the animal from?
Usually, most animals are taken from veterinary clinics. An euthanasia is performed on an animal that can no longer live, we have made an appointment before and we have explained to the client what will happen. When we talk about euthanasia, there is time to think about it more calmly. The client can attend the burial to get an idea of what is happening to his animal. To know. From there on there are those who lose the animal in their home. They go to the internet, call us and we go and get it from home.
- How many animals are buried here?
Over a thousand.
- And what people usually decide to bury their animals here? Are they wealthy?
No, they are people of all ages and all categories, from all parts of Attica. You will see in the cemetery that there are from dogs to rabbits, even hamsters. Everyone feels the need to lose and wants to manage it with dignity.
- What is the cost of burial?
From 100 to 150 euros depending on the size of the animal, the cat is different from the wolf dog. Mass burial costs half.
As Mr. Seferopoulos explains to us, there are many who find his spectacle excessive cemetery. They are mainly those who have not lived with an animal and can not understand what it means to lose it. Psychologist Markella Kaplani tells us: "The loss of a pet is not only painful because of the loss itself, but also because of the possible loneliness that can occur in this kind of grief. When a loved one dies, our loss is usually met with sympathy, support, and sincere condolences. In many cases, however, the same is not true of our pet. "There are many who can not understand the owner's grief."
- Is there any advice on how we can overcome the loss of a pet, Mrs. Kaplani?
To face the mourning of one pet animal, it is important to be patient and kind to oneself, giving one time to process one's feelings. It also helps a lot to find someone who understands what he is going through, so that he can express his grief, as well as have the opportunity to talk about all these beautiful things that connected him with his pet. In addition, it may be helpful for some to participate in "rituals" in memory of their pet, including his funeral and burial.