A pet crematorium in Benton has finally opened after 2 years of hard work, with owner Paul Fenn having to deal with several setbacks since deciding to start the business when his dog Scrappy sadly passed away in October 2021.
Scrappy's Pet Crematorium opened last week, and it aims to offer a personal and dignified service to a beloved pet that has recently passed away. This comes from a very personal place for Paul, and he has now been able to bring his vision to life after 2 years of work.
Paul, 42, has spoken about how he felt when his beloved dog Scrappy died at 17 years old back in 2021, and how this loss has influenced him when it comes to the creation of his pet crematorium business.
He said: "Losing Scrappy was probably the worst couple of weeks of my life, we were so close and it was honestly like losing a best friend. People aren't taken through the process enough and the whole thing is very cold. That's what made me want to start Scrappy's Pet Crematorium.
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"We had to travel to get the more personal send off that we wanted. It was this lack of a nearby place for this that cemented the idea in my head."
Paul has been driven by his desire to give pets a dignified and respectful send off in the way that he was lucky enough to be able to do, but not everyone gets that opportunity. It is important to Paul to meet with people before the time to make his products as personal and heartfelt as possible.
Paul added that often when dogs are put down at the vets, it can be quite a cold procedure with no personal touch, and he wanted to break this mould with Scrappy's while also creating a legacy for his much loved dog.
He also spoke about his struggles getting the idea off the ground, detailing the setbacks that he faced and the perseverance that it took to continue with the business.
He said: "Our first issue was with the premises, as placed didn't want the cremation to happen in their buildings. When we were finally able to find a unit, we then had to get planning permission for the industrial, environmentally friendly machine that we needed.
"We had to complete an environmental and sound report as well, but we took a risk, as we could have been stuck in a lease, and it has all finally worked out. The whole thing has been a rollercoaster and I felt an immense amount of relief when it was finished.
"It took so much of my time to make this a reality and it is an incredible feeling now it is on its feet. It is a nice legacy for Scrappy and its great for me and the family."
The service itself includes cremation with a drop off and pick up, and a room to say farewell before it takes place. People can also get a memorial box with things like pawprints as a keepsake.
Finally, with every cremation a small donation is also made to Newcastle Dog and Cat Shelter, a cause very close to Paul's heart, as he grew up in the same area and wants to help them as they work through the cost of living crisis.
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