Pet Cremation and Pet Burial - Latest News

February 2011 - 8 months for Emma Bent

Emma Bent, owner of Peak Pet Cremations has been sent to prison for 8 months following her guilty plea in rerlation to charges of fraudulently claiming to cremate six pets found dumped in a field in Lower Hartshay, near Ripley, in August 2009.

The following are statements written by all parties / owners involved in this long trial -
Statement by APPCC
Statement by Barbra Lambert (owner)
Statement by Helen Woods (owner)
Statement by Linda Allen & Angie Moore (owners)
Statement by Nottingham Pet Crematorium
Statement by Sue Southall (owner)

The story has also been reported on ITV and Lost & Fond

January 2011 - Guilty Plea entered in Dumped Dogs Trial

Emma Bent, owner of Peak Pet Cremations pleaded guilty to charges of fraudulently claiming to cremate six pets found dumped in a field in Lower Hartshay, near Ripley, in August 2009.

The pet owners were overcome with emotion when they heard the guilty pleas being entered at Derby Crown Court on Tuesday 18th January. Angela Moore, owner of Sam, one of the dogs found in the field said "I am so pleased that she (Bent) has finally admitted to her crimes but I still feel really angry that she could have admitted to it months ago and saved us going through all the extra trauma since then."

Linda Allen, owner of Bournville, a border collie, received a casket of ashes from Peak Pet Cremations prior to being informed Bournville's microchipped remains had been found in the field. She added "It was hard enough losing Bournville but to then be told that the ashes we had received were not his broke our hearts. This case has put so much strain on our family."

Kevin Spurgeon, director of the APPCC (Association of Private Pet Cemeteries & Crematoria) and Dawn Murray, a Pet Bereavement Counsellor from Living with Pet Bereavement also attended court to give their support to the pet owners. Dawn Murray said "These people have been through so much and I hope that today's guilty plea is another step towards them finding closure"

Pets were sent to Peak Pet Cremations by Ambivet veterinary group. The pet owners, who paid Ambivet for the cremation services, are currently considering whether to take their own legal action against the vets.

Kevin Spurgeon added "This case damages the reputation of the many vets and genuine pet crematoria that help owners through the loss of their pet. Our members adhere to a strict code of practice ensuring that sites are licensed and individual cremations are carried out properly and it is sickening to think that someone has abused the trust of these grieving pet owners at such a vulnerable time."

Talking about the extent of the issue Kevin continues "It concerns me that the veterinary group sent hundreds, possibly thousands of pets to Peak Pet Cremations over the past few years and was seemingly unaware that the site was not properly licensed. Questions need to be asked to determine whether this incident could have been prevented."

The APPCC have now written to the Veterinary Associations for their support after launching a Pet Cremation Code that encourages veterinary practices to inspect the pet crematoria that they use and accurately describe the after death care services that they offer clients.

The APPCC has also set up a support line (01252 844478) and Facebook group (Pets Reunited) offering help for concerned pet owners. The Blue Cross offer a free pet bereavement support service offering emotional support and information for pet owners who may be experiencing the loss of a pet. The support line is open from 8.30am - 8.30pm everyday. All calls are free and confidential from a landline. Telephone 0800 096 6606 (UK only including northern Ireland).

Sentencing will take place next month (02/02/2011) at Derby Crown Court. The judge indicated that Bent may face a custodial sentence.

The APPCC will be making a press pack available after sentencing. To request a pack please send an email to kevin.spurgeon@appcc.org.uk

You can read more about the story on Lost & Fond or in the Daily Mail

August 2010 - Dogs Monthly August Edition

'Behind Closed Doors' is an article published in the August edition of Dogs Monthly, it investigates what may happen to your pet if you choose to use a crematorium that is not a member of the APPCC. You can read the full article HERE

March 2010 - Court Case Opens!

Following on from the case last year where the bodies of 4 dogs were found 'dumped' in a field (see news article from August 2009 below) the Crematorium in question has now been charged by the police on a number of counts. You can read more on the Derbyshire Police Website and the BBC Website

March 2010 - APPCC Member creates new Bereavement Leaflets

Dawn Murray runs the Pet Undertaker based in Scotland, and an APPCC member. Through talking to pet carers, it became apparent that there was the need for more information to be readily available on the loss of a companion animal. Dawn wrote 2 leaflets specially designed to give pet carers information on what choices are available to them, pre and post euthanasia of their pet, to give a general overview of euthanasia and the stages of grief, and choices for aftercare for their pet.

The second leaflet is designed to help Children cope with the loss of their pet, what to tell them, and how they cope which varies depending on the age of the child.

Dawn's leaflets are available at most Vets in Central Scotland or they can be downloaded here.

September 2009 - APPCC Members continue to dominate Cemetery of the Year Awards

The highly prestigious competition has been held since 1997 for human sites and in 2004 the awards were opened up to include pet cemeteries and crematoria. Each year cemeteries and crematoria entering the Cemetery of the Year Awards (CYA) are judged according to a range of criteria including customer service, design, maintenance, facilities, the freedom of memorial choice and the improvement of site regulations. Over the summer months, the appointed CYA judges travel across the nation in search of the best of the best.

The Awards aim to raise standards in burial grounds and encourage choice for the bereaved. It is a nation-wide competition for cemeteries, crematoria, green and pet burial and cremation sites.

Since the launch of the award for best Pet Cemetery / Crematorium in 2004 a member of the APPCC has won the top prize every year to date.

Winners have included Pet Funeral Services in Flintshire (picture right, winners in 2004,2005,2006 & 2007) , Penwith Pet Cemetery & Crematorium in Cornwall and most recently Dignity Pet Crematorium in Hampshire in 2009 (pictured below).

Chairman, Nick Ricketts comments ''I am very pleased that the APPCC is always represented in the competition and feel so proud that a member has won the award every year since the category was first introduced. Our membership includes some of the best pet cemeteries and crematoria in the country and this award reinforces that our members are attaining the high standards that pet lovers deserve. Each year we gain more credibility with our human counterparts who are impressed at what our members have achieved.''

August 2009 - 'Cremated' dogs dumped in field

The BBC and the press recently reported an incident in Nottingham where the bodies of 4 dogs were found in a Derbyshire field. One owner had already received the ashes back for their dog Bourneville prior to the discovery of his body.

An inquiry has begun after the bodies of dogs that were meant to have been formally cremated were found dumped in a Derbyshire field. Police confirmed the remains of four dogs were discovered in Lower Hartshay, near Ripley, on 18 August. Two owners said their dogs had been sent by vets for cremation and one family was sent ashes.

Why has this happened?

We cannot say for sure until the matter is investigated further by the authorities. It is possible that the pet crematorium took several illegal shortcuts in order to provide the vets with very low cost prices as they touted themselves to vets on the basis of price:

Our prices are extremely attractive and can guarantee you a saving of on average 30% on current market prices. Although you are making a fantastic saving you will not be compromising on quality and service.

This highlights the dangers of choosing a 'cremation' service based on price alone. Unfortunately, there is usually a reason why a service is cheap and things are not always what they seem.

Was the crematorium a member of the APPCC?

Definitely not. In fact the APPCC reported the crematorium to Trading Standards in 2008 after they displayed the APPCC logo without permission.