Innovative crematorium service takes the hassle out of bidding farewell to four-legged friends
It all started with personal interest, family business and a gap in the market. Ploysai Passornsiri keeps many dogs _ enough to know how hard it is to deal with all the fuss that comes when they pass away.
Combining her father's electric and non-polluting incinerator business with her architectural thesis on total solution crematoria, Ploysai founded Pet Master _ a total pet crematorium that aims to make life easier for all pet lovers.
Pet Master embraces pet crematorium approaches from several countries which Ploysai researched before she embarked on her business. In Japan, she said, they have condos to house the ashes, while crematoria in the UK take a more eco-conscious approach.
Ploysai combined concepts from both countries and came up with an idea she believes to be most suitable for Bangkok _ a non-polluting crematorium without odour and smoke that won't damage the environment, operated at temples.
Wat That Thong, on Sukhumvit, served as the first location for her pet crematorium business.
``It was a coincidence that when I asked the abbot of the temple, he entirely agreed as the temple had received a lot of queries regarding the possibility of a pet crematorium. We were allocated a space at the back of the temple,'' said the director of Pet Master, who regards her service as ``the last home of pets''.
Convenience aside, the location is a solution for urban dwellers who are faced with the challenge of space when it comes to handling the bodies of deceased pets. Pet Master currently has branches at Wat That Thong, Wat Kai Tia in Taling Chan and Wat Bang Bua in Bang Khen, each servicing 60-80 pets per month.
In addition, Pet Master's services are also offered through its website, petcrematorium.com, which has witnessed a huge growth from two or three dogs in the first month to 20-30 dogs per month.
In terms of services, the ``total solution'' encompasses containers for remains, pet coffins, pet taxis (to deliver the body), cold storage, ceremonies, cremation and scattering of ashes as well as memorials.
Pet taxi fees range from 300 to 500 baht for Bangkok and its suburbs, while the cold storage charge is 300 baht per day. The ceremony fee is 1,000 baht, which covers coordinating with temples for attendance by monks, pouring water, offerings dedicated to monks, merit-making and placing the body in the incinerator. All procedures are photographed and pet owners will receive all the memorabilia. Ashes will be scattered every first and third Saturday of the month with a service fee of 300 to 500 baht.
Online services include photo albums of pets that Pet Master offers to customers for a 499 baht fee and the income from the memorial will be donated to The Voice _ the Foundation of Stray Dogs. Dogs aside, Ploysai said they also deal with cats, hamsters, chickens, squirrels and monkeys. They also provide a taxidermy service.
Pet Master counts universities, schools and open air markets among its customers, thanks to their regular major clean-ups that result in piles of dead rats _ infected waste that requires special handling.
Pet Master deploys the latest technology when it comes to customer service. The latest innovation is the mobile app called IDMSS, which is available on iOS and Android platforms.
All three branches of Pet Master are equipped with CCTV cameras, so if for any reason customers cannot attend the cremation service, they can monitor the entire process online in real-time via an app-enabled smartphone or personal computer.
