Chan Kwok-kei, pet undertaker
Chan Kwok-kei is the owner of Pet’s Heaven, a company providing hospice care for pets. Once described by his daughter as “the man who helps pets get to heaven,” Chan tells us of the life of a pet undertaker.
HK Magazine: Why hospice care service for pets?
Chan Kwok-kei: I've always been a pet-lover. Twenty years ago, my cat died. I didn’t want to throw its body away like a piece of rubbish so I buried it at the beach. Years later, I found houses were built on the site and I felt very uncomfortable about it. Later on, I found that the government had a special incinerator for pet cremation. I was in the courier business, so I thought I could earn some extra money by also delivering pet corpses. Later on, the incinerating center closed, so I bought one myself. I also built a memorial hall so pet ashes can be placed in urns and masters can visit them.
HK: Have you ever cremated unusual pets?
CKK: I’ve cremated goldfish, rodents, turtles and two days ago I cremated a pig. The owners thought the pig was some kind of domesticated breed that wouldn’t grow over a certain size. It turns out it got very big and fat. I’ve also cremated a duck and a parrot not long ago. It’s heartbreaking. The government banned having poultry as pets due to the birds flu a while ago, so their owners are forced to have them put down by the vet. Unlike other animals, the birds have to be injected right at the heart. It feels really bad to witness that. Two weeks later the government removed the restriction. Sometimes we find pets still have a heartbeat after their first lethal injection. We have to send it back to the vet and have them injected again. That’s sad.
HK: What do animals do before they die?
CKK: The animals prefer to die in solitude. They usually pick somewhere dark and secretive and die there. It's not uncommon for the owner to discover their corpses days after when there’s a smell. They also act strange when their companions die, sometimes making strange moans. I’ve seen a big tear coming out of a dog’s eye during a pet funeral. I think these pets know what’s going on.
HK: Are any of the funerals kind of religious?
CKK: Sometimes we have clients hiring a Master or have a Father conduct the ceremony. They pray and sing hymns. Some follow the Chinese tradition and pick the time and date for a funeral according to the Chinese calendar. They also burn incense sticks.
HK: What do people do in these funerals?
CKK: They usually bring the pet’s favorite dishes and toys and incinerate them with the pet. There was a woman so devastated she was unwilling to let go of the corpse and held it tight in her arms right before the incineration started.
HK: Any extravagant pet funerals?
CKK: Thirty or forty people attended one funeral for a dog, and there were lots of flowers and offerings. The ashes were placed in a marble urn. Blessings were read aloud. There were dozens of them. It cost nearly $20,000.