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From the Illawarra Mercury: A second pet crematorium has opened in the Illawarra, servicing a growing trend for people who want to give their loved ones a thoughtful send off after life.
InvoCare (who manage funeral homes, cemeteries and crematoria worldwide) have opened their first dedicated Australian service to animals, Patch and Purr in Kanahooka.
Families want to memorialise their pet in a way that is respectful as we do for humans," general manager Davina Bambrick said.
It's the second service of its type in the region, with Pets At Peace operating in Unanderra for 15 years.
Australia has the highest pet ownership rate in the world, according to Animal Medicines Australia, with about 5.7 million households (out of of the 9.2 million) have a pet.
Its study also found a marked change in the role dogs and cats play in the household since 2013. The relationship between humans and their pets has become closer, with a significant lift in the proportion of owners seeing their pets as family members, rather than as companions.
Veterinary and pet services has also grown by more than 40 per cent over the past 10 years, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics research.
