Yilan County’s Animal and Plant Disease Control Center has invested NT$7 million (US$227,835) in cremation facilities for pets.
The equipment is designed to ensure that the furnace is completely empty between uses, so that remains cannot be mixed together, the center said on Sunday.
The facility’s waiting area and service counter are comfortable and similar to regular funeral homes, the center said, adding that it understands that pets are also members of the family.
The county began offering cremation services for pets in 2003, the first area in the nation to do so. Over the past few years, it has seen demand for the service grow rapidly, from 333 cremations in 2013 to 938 last year.
Demand became so high that some families had to wait up to a month, the center said, adding that the new equipment has doubled capacity.
The new furnace is a smaller version of those used for human cremations, the center said.
Pets are placed into the furnace from the front and their ashes are removed from the back after an hour, it said, adding that up to eight cremations are typically performed per day.
Owners can stand alongside as their pet is sent into the furnace in a paper coffin, the center said, adding that owners have the option of taking the ashes with them or having the facility send them to the county’s public cemetery.
The cost remains the same for county residents, but the center is discussing how to calculate fees for nonresidents, it said.
County residents pay NT$2,000 for pets up to 30kg and NT$3,000 for those exceeding 30kg.
Last year, 40 percent of families took the ashes with them, the center said, adding that some people take the remains to private funeral homes, while others keep them in urns at home.
Those who wish to send ashes to the public cemetery must pay the required fees to the cremation facility, which then sends them to the cemetery on the family’s behalf.
A basic ceremony to scatter the ashes is free, while a more formal ceremony with flowers is NT$2,500, the center said, adding that the ceremonies are environmentally friendly.
Disposal fees for families who do not take the ashes or send them to the cemetery depend on the weight of the ashes, with fees ranging between NT$200 and NT$1,100.
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