At Beech: Pets at Peace
Trevor Johnson and his black lab, Tascha, in 2010. Tascha's health was in decline then. She died Sept. 20, 2011.
Late one recent evening, Tascha collapsed on the kitchen floor of her east-end home, helpless. Too weak to move.
When Trevor Johnson and partner Ron Zaharia found her that way, they feared she wouldn't make it through the night. She'd been ailing for months, frail with age, her life winding down.
The men tenderly covered Tascha with blankets, and then bedded down next to her on the floor, one on each side. Anxious and sleepless in the wee hours, they watched their 15-year-old black lab as her eyes began to close and her breathing slowed. Then it stopped.
They were devastated.
"I've had other pets in my life but Tascha was extra-special," says Johnson, 42, an Air Canada flight attendant. "I got her from the pound when she was six weeks old and basically brought her from cradle to grave."
But a grave for Tascha? Not in Toronto.
There are no official burial sites for animals — no pet cemeteries — in the city. Neither are there animal crematoriums.
Johnson couldn't bear the thought of leaving his dog on a vet's cold examination table and simply walking away. He also wanted closure, which didn't happen when he and Zaharia lived in Winnipeg with a beautiful white husky named Max.
Pets at Peace is a service for grieving pet owners. Tascha was cremated with her favourite breakfast treat — two slices of peanut butter toast.
MARY ORMSBY/TORONTO STARMax had a crippling stroke in 2007 when the two men were away in a remote part of Thailand. Family members couldn't reach the couple and had Max humanely euthanized.
"All we had (left) were our memories, some photos and a lot of guilt," says Johnson of the husky.
"Even though Max had a great life, all we could think about was his ending. We didn't get a chance to say goodbye."
Things would be different for Tascha.
Zaharia searched the Internet for burial options and found Pets at Peace, a service for grieving pet owners at Queen St. E. at Beech. Owner Helen Hobbs' business includes transporting a deceased pet from home or the vet's office; individual cremation (pets are driven to a site near Hamilton, Ont.) with the option of watching, decorative urns for storage and online memorials.
Tascha was cremated with her favourite breakfast treat — two slices of peanut butter toast. Her ashes were spread in a Winnipeg park where "she was happiest" as a younger dog, Johnson says.
Hobbs, 54, was a licensed funeral home director for humans for seven years who noticed how deeply acquaintances mourned their dead pets. Inspired by a friend who remains suspicious that the ashes her vet's office returned might not be those of her cat, Hobbs — who has three cats and a dog — established Pets at Peace seven years ago.
In 2010, she moved from the Kingston Road location to the Beach. Gentle music plays in the background of the main floor space, an area warmed by wood flooring and brick walls. Animals are taken to a basement morgue. Twice weekly, the crematorium picks up the animals.
Ashes are returned to the owner, who can purchase a variety of urns or use a plain box.
"Throughout history, people have acknowledged family members and honoured their lives after they've died with rituals and customs," says Hobbs.
"In this day and age, people's pets are family too and owners are seeking out this option."
Pets at Peace owner Helen Hobbs' business includes transporting a deceased pet from home or the vet's office; individual cremation (pets are driven to a site near Hamilton, Ont.) with the option of watching, decorative urns for storage and online memorials.
MARY ORMSBY/TORONTO STAR
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Trevor and Ron my condolences to both of you. Rest in Peace, Tascha.
Posted by: Carlos | 12/16/2011 at 12:09 AM
This is a marvelous service that I wish was available across the country.
My partner John and I have had to deal with the death of 4 of our own wonderful canine companions (Zen,Bowe,Nemo and Pepper (oni).Not to mention my loss of my girlfriend Jessie.We were able,our friends but one pooch Pepper had to be picked up by the Animal Control at my request. The cost was so much less...at $100. but no visitation at the end of life. The animal clinic that we had taken him to asked for $350. Big difference.
It wasn't the cost or price it was the dignety that we gave our frinds their send off. We had going away parties and invited lots of friends and neighbors over when we knew the end was near. It was a good thing as we became closer to the neighbors and friends.Saying goodbye is devestating but not as much as not being able to.
Thanks so much! Wanda News.
Posted by: Wanda News | 12/16/2011 at 06:25 AM
Fantastic idea. My parents live well out in the country and I keep telling them they should look at what it would take to legally open a pet cemetary. They already have 3 of their own dogs and at least 2 dogs of relatives buried out on their property. We've got several pets now that will be hard to say goodbye to. I don't think that I'm overly obsessive with animal rights and love for my pets, but I would like to be able to have peace of mind in knowing that they were treated with care and compassion even after death and that they can be returned to me.
Posted by: DSo | 12/16/2011 at 10:17 AM
Thanks for the great article! Just a slight correction. Tascha was 15 when she passed not 10. Thanks for the nice comments.
Posted by: Trevor Johnson | 12/16/2011 at 03:52 PM
Max had his stroke in 2007, not 1997. Thank You. Trevor Johnson
Posted by: Trevor Johnson | 12/16/2011 at 08:18 PM
So sorry to hear of your loss. I can relate as I lost my Great Dane a year ago this November. Broke my heart. I'm not a veterinarian but I work with the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association so I'm aware of some of the pet loss, and bereavement services out there. And thankfully, in my moment of grief I was given options by my own veterinarian based on cremation and burial. I chose to have her cremated so I could spread her ashes in a place we used to hike together. Aside from contacting these services directly, it's worth asking your veterinarian about options too, especially if you think you might be taking your best friend to the big green pasture in the sky anytime soon. There are compassionate options out there.
Posted by: Melissa Carlaw | 12/22/2011 at 03:32 PM