Pet (and owner) cemetery: funeral home allows deceased, furry companions joint burial

Funeral Home chain opens plots for pets A first-of-its-kind cemetery is now available for those who wish to be buried alongside their animal companions.

Montreal — They say you can’t take it with you, but some people are looking to make an exception when it comes to their pets and a funeral home chain is helping them do it.

A decade ago the Magnus Poirier Funeral Home dedicated a small portion of the Laval Cemetery, which it owns, to be a burial ground for pet ashes. But as demand grew the company decided to push the concept further and allow owners to be buried in the same plot as their pets.

“We did many pre-arrangements when their pets pass away,” said owner Benoit Poirier. “We bury the pet and then in the same plot, in their own casket, they’ll be reunited with their pet.”

Poirier said demand crosses all ethnic and religious backgrounds. The home even offers custom caskets for pets and open-casket viewings.

Prices range from $300 to more than $5,000, with owners able to choose from different plot sizes and tombstones.

“It’s’ your decision, you have the power to choose,” said Poirier. “There’s also the fact that more and more people are living alone and, for them, the pet becomes their most important companion they’ll ever have.”

Poirier is part of the fourth generation to run the funeral home, which dates back nearly 100 years. He said he believes his ancestors would find the situation “strange,” but would be proud.

“I think he would be proud of us developing a new product for our clients, a new type of service,” he said.