Funeral Homes For Pets–Nothing “Ruff” About It

Bob Walczyk owns two funeral businesses in Green Bay.  One home exclusively cremates humans, and one is for pets. Interestingly enough, when people come to the funeral home for humans, they question the price, but when people come home to the funeral home for pets, they will pay whatever it takes. 

Since the Walczyk’s family launched Forever Friends, the pet funeral home, their sales have risen by 524%. Many others have similar businesses dedicated to memorializing pets.  There are approximately 700 such businesses nationwide–including funeral homes, crematories and cemetaries. 

Nobody has been able to point out exactly what demographic is responsible for the industry’s financial boom, but some pet funeral directors believe it is baby boomers who become especially close to their pets after spouses die or children leave home. 

The growth in business could also be due to the growth in burial options for pets. A successful pet funeral business is based on mirroring a human funeral home.  

See There’s Never Been a Better Time to Be A Dead Pet, Bloomberg Businessweek, Sept. 7, 2012. 

Special thanks to Brian Cohan (Attorney at Law, Law Offices of Brian J. Cohan, P.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.