Grieving owners are paying $1500 to give their beloved pets an elaborate send-off

PET owners are spending $1500 for grief specialists as mourning families do away with backyard burials for the religious traditions of a human send-off.

Pets Eternal manager Alison Moore offers a range of cremation options for animals, to meet the needs of various cultures, inclu

THE owners of lizards, alpacas, guinea pigs and rats are spending $1500 for pet grief specialists as mourning families do away with backyard burials for the religious traditions of a human send-off.

Animal cremation companies said the number of families giving their loved ones a "proper burial" had spiked from 10 to more than 80 a week - and some even went to the effort of half-week ceremonies.

The packages, ranging from $330 for a scatter box to $850 for the deluxe, also include cremation, urn, lock of fur, paw print, candle and a certificate.

Alison Moore, managing director at animal cremation company Pets Eternal, said: "We have Buddhist puppies that can't be cremated for three days so they have to stay. We even have a Buddhist chanting machine with an animal prayer that plays."

Ms Moore said another tradition, often preferred by the Japanese parents of pets, required special attention.

"They often like a full bone kept so we will stop the cremation slightly earlier so we can do that for them," she said.

Since launching 12 years ago, the company has expanded its cremation services to cope with the 320 animals they cremate each month - with the average family spending about $400.

"I have been here for nine years and when I first took over I was doing just about everything myself, cremating 10 to 15 animals a week," she said.

"We now see up to 80 animals a week and we have eight staff."

Step inside their West Burleigh cremation centre and you could be at any funeral home on the Coast - until you glance up at the smiling faces of pets passed.

The office includes a viewing room, memorial garden, mortuary and two cremators discreetly out of sight.

Ms Moore, a veterinary nurse by trade, said she was honoured pet owners would trust them with their beloved animals.

"We look after dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rats, mice, snakes, birds, lizards and alpacas," she said. "We even had a peacock last week."

Bullmastiff breeder Robyn Armstrong said she wanted the best for her pups in life and death.

"They're a huge part of our family," she said.

"We couldn't bear to dig a hole and just stick them in. We wanted them to stay part of our home."

While most owners opted for the "bronze" package - which includes cremation, urn, lock of fur, paw print, candle and a certificate - Ms Moore said there was no shortage of special requests.

"People like to place special items in with the pet and we will unless it's toxic and can't be cremated," she said.

Newhaven Funerals at Stapylton opened their pet division after two decades of requests from animal owners and director Tim Connolly said they now performed about 400 individual cremations a year.

"We understand the respect and dignity people deserve and a pet is no different - a part of our family," he said.

Psychologist Nadine Hamilton, of Pawsitive Psych Solutions, said the loving bond made the passing of a pet so difficult.

"People say it's a pet and to get over it (but) you never get over it, you just learn to move around it," she said. "We need to reduce the stigma ... a horrible feeling when a pet dies is nothing to be ashamed of."