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 including:

· Indoor Niche Wall Urn Placement, · Indoor Remembrance Plaques, · Outdoor Niche Wall Urn Placement, · Outdoor Urn Burial Garden, and · Individual Urn Burials. This selection will be expanded in the near future to include: · Scattering Gardens for cremains, · Memorial Tree Planting in the Thistledown “Grove of Remembrance” or off-site by the pet owner, and · Memorial Bench and Trail Marker Program.

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. 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, the urn can be returned. The price to place an urn in a niche includes the preparation of an engraved brass memorial plate mounted on a burled oak plaque. The plaque 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 brass memorial plate mounted on a burled oak plaque. The plaque 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

Indoor Remembrance Plaques 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 other small pocket pets. Urns from larger animals (e.g. horses) can also be placed in the columbarium. Clients have the option to 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 may choose to purchase all four spots in the niche for a single pet.

Once an urn is placed in the outdoor columbarium at Thistledown, the client is still in control. If, at a later date a client wishes to remove the urn for whatever reason, the urn can be returned. The price to place an urn in a niche includes the preparation of an inscription on the face of the granite niche cover plate. There is a one-time charge for the placement of an urn and no annual maintenance fee for this service.

Outdoor Urn Burial Garden
For those clients wishing to have their pet’s urn buried outside, we have established Outdoor Urn Burial Garden. Unlike our columbariums, 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 placing the urn in a protective container before it is buried in the niche. Each niche is encased in concrete throughout much of its depth. The base of the niche compartment consists of soils native to the area. Once the urn has been placed, the burial niche is backfilled with sandy soils and an inclined granite marker is placed over the burial compartment. The price to place an urn in a burial niche includes the preparation of an inscription on the face of the granite headstone marker. There is a one-time charge for the placement of an urn and no annual maintenance fee for this service.

Individual Urn Burials
For those clients wishing to have their pet’s urn buried outside in less formal surroundings, we have established Individual Urn Burial sites at a number of locations on the Thistledown property. Unlike our Urn Burial Garden, the Individual Urn Burials have no concrete vault around them. Each burial hole 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 hole. With Individual Urn Burials, clients will have the option of placing the urn in a protective container before it is buried. Once the urn has been placed, the burial hole is backfilled with sandy soils and a small granite marker will be placed over the burial site. The price to place an urn in an Individual Urn Burial 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.

Scattering Gardens
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.

Memorial Tree Planting
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 tree in the “Grove of Remembrance” or off-site at a location of their choice. All trees used for this purpose will be harvested from other areas of the Thistledown property.

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.