Resting Pets opened its doors in March 2021. Our mission is to be the answer grieving pet owners are looking for at a time when their companions are no longer by their side. Compassion, trust, and respect; we will care as much for your pets in death as you have their whole lives.

After suffering the loss of our pet dog relatively quickly, we found ourselves unprepared and asking the almost unanswerable question of what happens next.  And that led to further questions; like what options, if any, were available to us immediately in that moment of profound sadness and grief. Who could offer us a solution? Who has the answer? All these questions while at the same time trying to come to terms with the initial denial stage of grief, set upon us people like a smack in the face when we are at our weakest and most vulnerable.

Cremation felt like the right course of action; yet we were not given any options that we felt met the standards our pet deserved. Our main concern was the fact that we were “assured” that the ashes returned to us would be that of our dogs alone. But that is all it was, an assurance. Our vet could not fully guarantee to us that to be the case and we were not given the option to speak with the crematorium operator directly. As a result, within the hour of our Great Dane passing away, we found ourselves at home with a shovel digging an unusually large and deep grave in his favourite spot in the garden. We should have been doing whatever had to be done to process what had just happened, anything other than digging the final resting place for our beloved companion who had been our closest friend for the past nine years. As we shovelled the wet earth from the ground, with the mud walls around us gradually getting higher, the thought of there must be a better way to do this crossed our minds more than once.

When a person dies, we all know what the process is – traditionally a wake, funeral service  and burial afterwards which is usually arranged by a funeral director. It is such a simple process, so simple that it forms part of the grieving process. We found such a process was not readily available to grieving pet owners looking for a respectful and caring means of remembering their pets

Not everyone is presented with acceptable options where the death of a pet has occurred. Some may be so overwhelmed that they just accept the first option given to them. Some may not be ready to make any decisions at that moment. Some may just want to have somebody come along and handle the situation, from start to finish, no issues – just a prompt reliable service to somehow make things a little bit easier in that moment. But, most importantly, to care as much for their beloved pet in death as they did throughout their entire lives.

Resting Pets is the answer to the question of what happens next. A family of pet owners serving Ireland’s pet owning family, our experience of grief and loss has led us to this point. We believe that nobody should find themselves in a situation like ours. Our aim is to simplify the process of pet cremation and create a quick, easily accessible means of cremation services to all pet owners around Ireland.