Funeral services take care of beloved pets when they die

Each animal has its own average life span. Hamsters run around on their wheel for about a year or two. Man's best friend will stay by your side for a decade or longer, until about 12 years old. Your average indoor bunny will keep thumping for a year longer, while a cat with nine lives will be purring until 15 years of age.

But eventually your precious pet (unless you own a slow ageing tortoise or parrot that could easily outlive you) will pass away.

When Peanut, a mixed Spaniel, died two years ago, Susanna Fung was deeply distraught. 'For the first year after his death, it affected me very badly. I couldn't speak about him, he was something very special,' she says.

When Peanut passed away, Fung had him cremated with his favourite toy, a tennis ball. Fung still holds onto Peanut's old leash and collar, and keeps his ashes at home. One day she will scatter his ashes when she feels the time is right and have a little service.

With little or no garden space in Hong Kong, most pet owners don't have the option of burying their pet. According to Dr Kylie Griffin of The Ark Veterinary Clinic, owners in Hong Kong have three options: giving their animal to the Hong Kong Agricultural and Fisheries Department, where their pet will be buried in a specially designated landfill area; or they can opt for a group or individual cremation.

For pet owners who want to share their grief, pet funeral parlour Goodbye Dear Pets Cremation Centre offers everything from transport service and cremation to Buddhist pet memorial services, a mourning hall and pet cemetery. Opened in 1994, Goodbye Dear's owner Philip Tam says, 'Fifteen years ago the government just disposed of animals when they passed away. I love animals, so my wife and I decided to open and do this kind of service.'

Once your pet passes away, the pet funeral parlour offers a 24-hour transport service for your pet's remains from anywhere in Hong Kong to the mortuary. From there it will stay in one of nine large freezers until cremation, or you can first give your last respects in a funeral service conducted in Buddhist or Christian ceremonies.