A local pet crematorium has opened a luxury reception room to provide comfort for bereaved owners.
The Nottingham Pet Crematorium at Antara is based in West Bridgford, just off Gamston Bridge, and offers individual services for those who have lost their beloved pets.
The family-run facility has been going for nearly 25 years, and has now opened up a new reception area, known as the 'Rainbow Room', which aims to provide a relaxed environment for owners to talk about their loss.
The service is owned by Rita Harbury-Carlisle and her husband John, who both previously ran a dog hotel, and is managed by Simon Saunders.
Rita said: "This room can cater for larger numbers without people feeling uncomfortable. It is a lovely area and people can wait here while the pet is prepared for a final viewing.
"We really try to give everyone the individual service they require. We try to talk through all the options and it gives everyone a relaxing environment to make decisions about the type of casket required, music for the service and other important personal details."
The new area is known as the 'Rainbow Room' due to a poem on display inside by an anonymous author entitled 'Rainbow Bridge'.
The poem talks about a place called Rainbow Bridge where pets and owners are re-united in the afterlife, and Rita says the new room aims to capture the spirit of the poem.
She said: "The Rainbow Bridge poem suggests that when an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes over Rainbow Bridge. Our aim is to follow this sentiment and give comfort to the owners at this difficult time."
The new room is the latest aspect of the crematorium's personal service, which also includes their own fleet of vehicles comprising a traditional hearse, and each pet receiving a kiss from the manager before they are cremated as a mark of respect.
Any domestic pet can have an individual cremation funeral at the service and animals have ranged from dogs, cats, gerbils, hamsters, birds - even tarantulas.
After being kept in a freezer prior to cremation, pets are washed and blow-dried to make them more presentable to their families. This is to give owners a "lasting nice memory" of how they look.
Rita added: "We understand this is a difficult time for the pet owners. We want to treat their family friend with utmost respect and give them the send off their owner wishes. Every pet deserves a dignified send off, all pets are very much a member of the family."
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