by Leslie Averitt
In 1995 when my husband Greg and I decided to get married and were about to announce our engagement, we found out his mother was dying of pancreatic cancer and given seven months to live. Quickly we arranged a small wedding at my friend’s home, bought inexpensive rings and got married with both his parents attending. Three months later, she was gone. Some months later my husband realized he’d never gotten me an engagement ring. I told him I preferred a dog to any diamond ring and if he really wanted to give me something, to buy me another standard poodle. Greg did and I aptly named him “Diamond”. On Jan. 11, 2010 (he was 13 ½ years old) he had an episode of bleeding from his mouth. We quickly drove him to the Emergency Veterinary Hospital on Oleander Dr. in Wilmington. Blood work and x-rays showed nothing, the bleeding stopped and we took him home wondering what would happen next. Then on Jan. 24 I awoke in middle of night to a banging noise. I found him coming out of a seizure. Next morning he seemed okay but later I found him having another seizure. We took him to Dr. Layton at Pine Valley Animal Hospital who agreed with euthanasia. I’ve had to make this decision before and it’s never easy. They asked what we wanted to do with his body and I told Greg to make the decision because at that point, I couldn’t think of what I wanted to do. Greg decided to have Southeastern Pet Cremation take care of him for us. A few days later Diamond’s remains were ready to be picked up from Pine Valley Animal Hospital. I had no pre-conceived idea of how his ashes would come. At Pine Valley, I was handed a nice bag with Diamond’s name on the front. Inside was a beautiful wooden box holding his remains, a small brass name plate we can engrave, a piece of Rosemary because the herb Rosemary means “Remembrance”, and a round clay tile with Diamond’s paw print imprinted on it. Wow! We had no idea they would do all of this. So often people just take your money and do the least amount they have to do to get the job done. My Father had been cremated and I received a plain brown cardboard box with his remains inside a plastic bag. I wanted to write about this experience in case there are any of you out there who sadly sometime may require this type of service. Southeaster Pet Cremation is family owned and operated by Ron and Barbara Currie since 1990. Ron has always been a “service oriented-type person” who delivered newspapers as a kid and worked for New Hanover County Animal Control for 16 years. They service our immediate area and as far north as Moorehead City, NC and as far south as Calabash, S.C. with the help of his brother Gregg Currie and Christy Blanton. Their facility is located in a small industrial park 5104 US Hwy. 421 N. Wilmington, NC 28401. Their new, larger building provides more open space and privacy should you elect to attend your pet’s cremation by appointment. There is a waiting area for your comfort and a small urn display. Their equipment is “state of the art”, environmentally sound and fueled by natural gas. To best serve their clients and ensure prompt return of ashes, they maintain four cremation units.
Another option is communal cremation.
Communal cremation is a more economical alternative where several pets are cremated together. The process is the same but ashes are removed as a whole and are not returned to owners. These cremains are scattered on the Currie farms or around the roses and other plantings at the crematorium.
Ron and Barbara maintain an inventory of cremation urns other than the stock wooden urn. These are for sale at their site and range from simple wooden boxes to marble, porcelain, pewter and brass selections that may better match your decor. Custom-made, water tight burial capsules are also available for your pet’s ashes upon special request.
Scattering cremains at sea is their latest new option for area pet owners.
Nobody wants to think about losing their pet. Our pets never live long enough and ask for so little but give so much. If you find yourself wondering what you do would do if and when something happens to one of your pets, think about this valuable service and bookmark their website today. Cell: 910-262-0464 and phone 910-762-7525. Or go to their website: www.southeasternpetcremation.com.
To Ron and Barbara-Thank you so much for the utmost care you took with my beloved “Diamond”.