Animal lovers in the UK are becoming increasingly attached to their pets – even beyond the grave.
Among them are a Pontardawe couple who have put up a memorial in their garden to their faithful pet, a Shetland collie who was their constant companion for 14 years.
Mike and Elspeth Davies wanted to mark the passing of Max, their faithful friend, and turned to the House Name Plate Company who supply pet memorials in a variety of materials.
Elspeth said: “Max really was part of the family and when Mike had to give up work because of multiple sclerosis he was a wonderful companion for him.
“He was like a second child and when we went on holiday we always had to go to cottages where Max could come too.
“We wanted to have something to remember Max and thought this memorial was the most appropriate”
The Wrexham-based House Name Plate Company are the UK’s largest supplier of house name plates and their clients include high street and DIY giants like Argos, B and Q and Homebase as well as hotel chains.
But their pet memorials, made at their factory at Ruabon, near Wrexham, where they even run their own foundry, are becoming increasingly popular.
They sold 780 pet memorials last year and that represented 56 per cent increase on 2009.
Managing Director Tina Smith said: “Pets are wonderful friends and they do really become part of the family so we believe it is very appropriate to have a memorial to them and to all the happiness and companionship they have provided over the years.
“There are 27 million pets in the UK, 16 million of them dogs and cats, and as a nation we are renowned as pet lovers.
“They provide companionship, security or just family fun but they can leave a huge void in the life of their owners when they die and for many it helps to have a permanent memorial to them.”
And according to an eminent psychiatrist the urge to mark the passing of a loved and valued companion is perfectly natural.
Dr Dafydd Alun Jones said: “In modern psychiatry there’s a recognition that pets can have a crucial role in maintaining people’s mental health and the grief of losing them can be as great as losing a human companion.
“They’re totally loyal and totally dependent and they never quarrel with you and when they go then the person has to do something to recompense for their grief.
“It’s not new, Prince Llywelyn left a memorial to his beloved hound, Gelert, and promised ‘You will get a headstone of marble on your grave, you faithful dog’ and it’s there today at Beddgelert.”
Just like Prince Llywelyn many modern day pet owners, like Mike and Elspeth, are looking for a suitable memorial to mark their faithful friend’s passing and many are turning to the House Name Plate Company.
Mike and Elspeth have buried Max in the garden with a slate memorial which says: “Max, 1996-2011 Faithful Friend.”
The couple have a daughter and two grandchildren and Elspeth added: “We all loved Max and will miss him.
“We had a rough collie called Bobby before Max and he was a lovely dog too and we never thought we would get another but we saw an advert for these dogs in St Clears, in Carmarhenshire, and we went and saw them.
“We chose Max because he was looking at us with his head on one side and we thought he looked quiet but he wasn’t!
“Michael found him a great companion after he had to retire as an electrical installer because of MS.
“I was still working as a PA at Gorseinon College and Max never had to be told when I came home. He would make Mike open the door at half past three and he’d sit there waiting for m.
“But sometimes I would creep in if I was early and I’d find the two of them asleep on the settee like a pair of bookends.
“He was 14 and two months when he died but he had been poorly for a while and this plaque really means a lot to me.
“Max is buried in the garden now and the plaque is there with him.”
Tina Smith added: “We are a traditional manufacturing company and we take pride in delivering quality products to our customers.
“All our memorials and everything we do is individually handcrafted from the best quality material and finished to the highest quality.”
For more information go to http://www.housenameplate.co.uk
