Mary

The first time I dealt with Faithful Companion was about four years ago. After the sudden onset of a severe illness, I had to put a beloved childhood cat to sleep. I had recently just left the veterinary field, so I knew how most pet cremation companies handled people’s deceased pets- while sparing the details, I will just say that it was unsettling and saddening even for someone who has become accustomed to seeing sick and dying pets on a regular basis. That said, I had just assumed that it was a necessary evil at the time, as most town and state laws forbid burying a pet due to environmental concerns, and I didn’t know that there were any other options. However, I had followed the vet that I used to work for to his new clinic as a client, and they dealt with Faithful Companion, who I had never heard of at the time. I was immediately surprised at how highly my vet and the staff recommended them, but I was still surprised when, upon having performed the cremation for my well-loved kitty, Tom (the owner) called me to give me his condolences. That alone just simply does not happen in the pet cremation business to the best of my knowledge. He was kind, compassionate, and professional, and it was so nice to know that my pet had been treated with the love and respect I felt that she deserved. As of this present writing, I have just lost two more pets, both rats, who were just as close to me as any of the pets I have ever had the good fortune to love and to have been loved by. They were sweet and smart and always made me laugh and I miss them terribly. It was especially hard to say goodbye to them because rats have such short life spans, and once the younger, more sprightly rat, Badger, passed away from an abdominal tumor (which grew so fast, my boyfriend and I didn’t even know it was there until it was too late), the older one, Molly, simply lost her will to live and her health declined rapidly. In both cases, Tom was again amazingly kind, compassionate, and professional. My rats saw a different vet than my regular vet for my cats (as rats are considered exotic pets), and unfortunately, they do not currently do business with Faithful Companion. The initial price I was quoted for cremation services through my exotic vet (and subsequently, several other pet cremation companies as I called around to compare) was completely out of my price range, but Tom gave my boyfriend and I a price that I feel was more than fair and was bordering on charity. We visited his facility in Cedar Lake for both rats, and it was nice to be able to see the process through myself. His facility is clean, well-maintained, and has memorials to the pets that other clients have loved and lost throughout the years. A book of cards, letters, and various means of showing gratitude are proudly and prominently displayed on a table which clients are welcome to look through, and it reminds you that you are not alone in your loss. We elected to wait both times for the cremation to be performed rather than to make Tom drive all the way to deliver their remains to us in Schererville, and he or his nephew (who works for him at the facility) stayed with us the entire time and shared our stories about our girls, asked us questions about their quirks and behavior, and were entirely empathetic. Most people are, at best, clueless, about why one would choose a rat as a pet, and at worst, judgmental, but neither Tom nor his staff was anything like that. Simply put, they understand the bond between a pet and an owner, and they understand the sense of loss one feels when saying goodbye to a friend- furry or otherwise. I am so very grateful to them for all that they have done for us. They are truly the only company out there that will handle your pet with the love and respect that their owners would.