Animal companions deserve best possible treatment, even in death

By jennifer priest-mitchell

The Times, Feb 1, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009

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(Jennifer Priest Mitchell is a freelance writer in Beaverton. She can be reached at jnjmitchell@yahoo.com.)

The pet industry is a growing one — car seats for dogs, clothing and a variety of human-like foods for cats and dogs, as well as a host of services for our animal companions are out there for families with pets. It is tough to think about, but there is even a need for after-care services in the event of your pet’s death. Dignified Pet Services in Tualatin is among the top-notch facilities in the area, and Matthew Ellis, After Care Counselor, is among the devoted staff there who can help.

Ellis fully understands just how much people love their animal companions. And, he understands how important it is for people to provide the best possible care for their pets, and to grieve and move forward, just as we do if we lose a human family member.

“We are a crematory and funeral home for animal companions, but it goes so far beyond that. We have a live person answer the phone seven days a week, 24 hours a day, and we have great staff to help people through this difficult time,” he recently shared.

Originally from Tulsa, Okla., Ellis became a funeral director’s apprentice in Tulsa when he was a young man. He then spent five years working in the industry, where he coordinated funeral services for families going through the loss of a person. He would plan details of the funeral ceremony, including limousine services, ministers, musicians, flowers, printers and other event details. During the time he worked at the funeral home, Ellis was an active volunteer in the animal service world. He was busy rescuing cats and preparing them for adoption, and eventually working part-time at a veterinary hospital while also working full-time in the funeral home.

Ellis had a close friend who moved to Portland a few years back and, as he put it, “She was always telling me what a great place Oregon is and how open-minded and caring the community is.” Eventually, he decided to visit, and ended up making Oregon his home.

Ellis was first aware of death at the tender age of 5, when a family pet died. Other pets also died over the years - hamsters, dogs and cats, and Ellis recalls the sense of loss when those creatures passed. Then when he was a young teen, his father died in an automobile accident. Not long after that, three of his grandparents passed away, and Ellis reflects on these events with a warm and a peaceful tone to his voice: “My family was very supportive of me, and of one another in those trying times. There was not intense grief that I recall, but it was those events that helped me develop patience and an understanding of death and what it means to people, and how we must each deal with it and care for our loved ones who have left us.”

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