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Bereavement Leaflet
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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.
