MEMORIALIZATION SERVICES 

How we memorialize our pets is a very personal decision. What may feel right for one pet owner may not be adequate or appropriate for another. Recognizing this diversity among pet owners, at Thistledown we offer a number of pet memorialization alternatives.

 

Memorialization Alternatives Offered At Thistledown

  • Indoor Niche Wall Urn Placements

  • Indoor Remembrance Plaques

  • Outdoor Niche Wall Urn Placements

  • Formal Urn Burial Garden

  • Woodland Urn Burials

  • Memorial Bench and Trail Marker Program

  • Memorial Tree Planting in the Thistledown “Grove of Remembrance (2014)

  • Off-site Memorial Tree Planting by the pet owner (2014)

  • Scattering Garden for cremains (2014)

 

 

Indoor Niche Wall Urn Placement

Many of our clients have chosen to place their pet’s urn in one of the niches of our indoor columbarium. Each niche can hold up to four “standard size” urns used by local crematoria for the cremains of dogs, cats or other small pocket pets. Urns from larger animals (e.g. horses) can also be accommodated in the columbarium. Thistledown is the final resting place of Toronto Police Service horses “Brigadier” (killed in the line of duty in 2006) and Royal Sun (2012). Many clients place one urn in the niche initially and reserve the other three spots in the niche for other pets they have at home. Other clients purchase all four spots in the niche for a single pet. 

 

Once an urn is placed in the indoor columbarium at Thistledown, the client is still in control. If, at a later date a client wishes to remove the urn for whatever reason (e.g. moving out of the country), the urn can be returned to the owner. The price to place an urn in a niche includes the preparation of an engraved memorial plate mounted on a burled oak plate. The plate is affixed to the selected niche front. There is a one-time charge for the placement of an urn and no annual maintenance fee for this service. 

 

 

Indoor Remembrance Plaques

A number of our clients have lost a pet at some time in the past and do not have an urn of cremains for that pet. For clients such as these, we have created Indoor Remembrance Plaques. Each Plaque consists of an engraved memorial plate mounted on a burled oak plate. The plate is affixed to one of our Indoor Walls of Remembrance at a location selected by the client. There is a one-time charge and no annual maintenance fee for this service. 

 

 

 

Outdoor Niche Wall Urn Placement

For those clients wishing to have their pet’s urn placed outside, we have established an Outdoor Columbarium. Each niche can hold up to four “standard size” urns used by local crematoria for the cremains of dogs, cats or pocket pets. Urns from larger animals such as horses can also be placed in the columbarium. Clients have the option of placing one urn in the niche initially and reserving the other three spots in the niche for other pets they have at home. Other clients may choose to purchase all four spots in the niche for a single pet. 

 

 

Formal Urn Burial Garden

For those clients wishing to have their pet’s urn buried outside, we have established a Formal Urn Burial Garden. Unlike our columbaria, each Urn Burial compartment can only hold one “standard size” urn used by local crematoria for the cremains of dogs, cats or other small pocket pets. Cremains from larger animals (e.g. horses) may have to be placed in a different shaped urn that can be accommodated by the burial niche. With our burial niches, clients have the option of purchasing an urn vault and placing the urn in this protective container before it is buried. The price to place an urn in the Formal Urn Burial Garden includes the preparation of an inscription on the face of the granite

marker. There is a one-time charge for the placement of an urn and no annual maintenance fee for this service. 

 

 

 

 

Woodland Urn Burials

For those clients wishing to have their pet’s urn buried outside in less formal surroundings, we have established Woodland Urn Burial sites at a number of locations on the Thistledown property. Each burial plot is able to hold one “standard size” urn used by local crematoria for the cremains of dogs, cats or other small pocket pets. Cremains from larger animals (e.g. horses) may have to be placed in a different shaped urn that can be accommodated by the burial plot. With Individual Urn Burials, clients will have the option of purchasing an urn vault and placing the urn in this protective container before it is buried. The price to place an urn in a Woodland Urn Burial site includes the preparation of an inscription on the face of a flat granite marker. There is a one-time charge for the placement of an urn and no annual maintenance fee. 

 

 

Memorial Bench and Trail Marker Program
Often, in the hours, days or months following the loss of a pet, owners find it very therapeutic to be “alone with nature” for a bit, and have a chance to reflect back on the many good times they had with their pet. It is for this reason we have created a number of walking trails through the forests on the Thistledown property for the enjoyment of our clients and their surviving pets. To enhance this “back to nature” experience, we are planning to create a Memorial Bench and Trail Marker Program. Through this program pet owners will be able to purchase a bench or trail marker that will be installed along the trail system in their pet’s name for the benefit of all Thistledown clients. There will be a one-time charge for this service and a plaque with the pet’s name will be affixed to the bench or marker. 

 

 

Scattering Gardens, Walls of Remembrance and Remembrance Columns (2014)
A number of our Thistledown clients have expressed a desire to scatter some or all of their pet’s cremains. To accommodate these clients, a number of scattering gardens will be created at various locations around the Thistledown property. It is proposed that Walls of Remembrance and/or Remembrance Columns will be erected adjacent to these gardens for those pet owners wishing to have some form of permanent memorial to their pet. There will be a one-time charge for placing a pet’s name on a Wall of Remembrance or on a Remembrance Column. 

 

“Special Friend” Memorial Tree Planting in the “Grove of Remembrance” (2014)
Thistledown Pet Memorial is located on the Oak Ridges Moraine and much of the property is forested with oak, maple, beech and hickory. Thistledown will be establishing a “Grove of Remembrance” on the property. Thistledown clients will be provided the opportunity to plant a maple tree sapling in the “Grove of Remembrance”. All trees used for this purpose will be harvested from other areas of the Thistledown property. A dedication marker will be placed at the base of each tree. 

 

“Special Friend” Memorial Tree Planting at home (2014)

Thistledown will be making available maple tree saplings that have been harvested from the Thistledown property for planting at the pet owner’s home or at some other “special” place. Such plantings will provide a long-lasting tribute to that very special member of the family. A dedication marker will be included with each tree.