Tulsa Pet Funeral Home Provides Comfort For Animal Lovers

In the past, when the family dog died, many people buried the dog under its favorite tree in the backyard.

But now, more people are using funerals and cremation to say goodbye.

Angel Askins is very serious about giving people's pets a proper send off.

"I have discovered pet grief is way more intense than human grief," Askins said.

Doesn't last as long, but that's why she opened Angel's Pet Funeral Home 18 months ago.

She was in the human funeral business for more than 30 years. Now it's all about our pets.

"They're part of people's family anymore, more than they were even ten years ago," Askins said.

She said more than half of people opt for cremation after a pet dies.

"As human cremation rates have risen, so has pet cremation rates," Askins said.

And it's not always dogs and cats.

"We did a parakeet," Askins said.

His name was Einstein.

There are lots of urns and containers for pet ashes.

Owners send dozens of thank-you cards. One from someone just passing through.

"Her little poodle got sick and passed away. We did the cremation and mailed the ashes back to North Carolina," Askins said. "Now she's on the nightstand with her people."

In the crematory there are three units. One with five chambers of different sizes.

Last year, they performed more than 800 pet cremations, Askins said. The rate has increased to about four per day.