(Published in Oct. 2006)

Losing Man's Best Friend
How to comfort customers in their time of need.
By Scott and Ann Springer

Employees at pet retail shops know regular customers and their pets better than anyone else. As a retailer, you help pick out the best food for your customers' young puppies and you advise dog owners on how to survive the teething stage.

As your customers' dogs age, you suggest products to keep the pets healthy and extend their life.

Inevitably, too, the day comes when a dog owner saunters into your shop with sunken shoulders and red eyes to share the sad news that the family dog has passed on. Again, your role is to recommend and sell the best products available. But you may not have products on hand that deal with the mourning period of pet ownership.

"A lot of retail stores sell products to keep dogs healthy and extend the life of the pet and don't want to get into selling bereavement-type products," says Steven Mondazzi, the owner of Pets We Loved, a manufacturer in Tyngsboro, Mass.

While you may choose not to carry dog memorial products, it's important to be informed about products on the market in this category because your customers will likely look to you, like they have in the past, for advice on what to do next.

"Everyone is going to lose their pet at some point and you might want to have something available to show them what their choices are, like a pamphlet on pet loss," says Mark Greer, the owner of Angel Ashes, a Costa Mesa, Calif.,-based manufacturer.

Why It's a Tough Sell
More pet owners than ever before seek ways to memorialize their dog after it dies. "Sales have doubled every year over the past three years that we've been in business," Mondazzi says. "Acceptance and awareness of these products is growing."

Pets have crept indoors to stay in the past two decades and now have become a part of the family tree in the United States, Mondazzi says.

"Someone who has had a pet for 15 or 17 years sees that pet as a child to them," Mondazzi says. "So, they want to do something nice for them in return for the love and companionship that they've given to them."

Mondazzi and other manufacturers of bereavement products recognize that their products will only be purchased once during the lifetime of a pet, unlike numerous purchases of collars, leashes, and dog food.

Paula Turner, the owner of The Pet Care Company in Hermosa Beach, Calif., used to sell bereavement products but stopped stocking them because it's such a specific purchase.

"It's not like someone's going to come in and say, ‘That is a great casket,' and buy it for the future," Turner says.

Instead of hogging valuable shelf real estate, Turner suggests retailers have brochures of products that can be special ordered.

"We overnight a lot of our products," Mondazzi says. "Retailers who can be available to help with the buying and shipping of products, as a service to their customers, can really add a personal touch."

Donna Howen doesn't stock pet memorials at the retail shop in Rockford, Ill. That she manages, Pet Land Rockford, but she knows where to direct her customers in their time of need.

"You should research what is offered in your area," Howen says. "You should be able to come up with information even if you aren't going to carry it in your shop."

Know What's on the Market
The majority of customers choose to cremate their pets the market abounds with hundreds of urns for pets in a variety of shapes, styles, and colors to accommodate any type of décor and taste, Mondazzi says.

Many urns also come with places for photos and name plates to commemorate the dog.

"Our single most popular style of urn has some sort of photo in it," Greer says.

Customers who save a portion of the ashes from cremation may choose to put in a pin or other type of jewelry.

"Women, especially, like to have the keepsake pin to keep the memory of their dog close to them at all times," Mondazzi says.

Memorial stones are another option that some customers may prefer. Turner recommends having a sample of one on hand to show to customers and then do a special order to meet their needs.

For retailers with limited space, bereavement cards offer a low price point and an easy addition to a card display, Howen says.

Other pet owners may choose to have a funeral or a memorial service for their dog and bury them in a casket.

"Nine out of 10 consumers bury their dog in their yard," Mondazzi says. However, Mondazzi cautions that some states or cities do not allow these types of burial and recommend pet cemeteries as an alternative.

A funeral at a pet cemetery may cost $500 or more, depending on the area, and may also charge additional perpetual care fees.

Caskets cost anywhere from $100 to $250, depending on the size, the fabric lining, and the type of wood used in manufacturing.

Just like humans make arrangements while they are in good health, some of Mondazzi's customers—5 to 10 percent—plan for their pets' passing and order a customized casket in advance.

Mondazzi makes each casket by hand and it can take two or three weeks to complete one for a customer.

"I had a woman in California who ordered one for her dog, who is fine, but she's just planning ahead," Mondazzi says.