Harrogate pet crematorium and 'goodbye room' to open

A number of local authorities now have pet cremation facilities

A pet crematorium complete with a "goodbye room" for bereaved owners is to open in Harrogate.

It will be built inside a converted shipping container at Stonefall Cemetery with a storage room converted so owners can say their farewells.

The council said it was "much-needed" due to a lack of such facilities.

It will cater for small animals such as rabbits and larger animals including dogs, with costs ranging from £50 to more than £200.

John Club, the council's commercial and community development manager, said pet cremations were becoming ever more popular and the council saw it as an opportunity to meet the growing demand.

The council said it wanted to give owners the chance for a dignified and respectful send off for their pets

Owners will be able to ask the council to collect their pets or take them to the crematorium themselves, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Mr Club said the animals would be stored in a freezer if required and that the council was following the lead of other authorities - including Barnsley - which had opened similar facilities.

He said: "Within the shipping container - which is a standard six metres (19.7ft) long - the cremator is probably the size of a very small car.

"And there is space in there to have a chest freezer. It is nothing special, just a really bog-standard freezer which will enable the smooth running of the service.

Councillor Victoria Oldham, who works as a farmer in her Washburn ward, said she was "fully supportive" of the proposals.

She said: "I'm sure that it will be well used and having the goodbye room will mean an awful lot to pet owners."