Pet memorial area opens at Mitchell Family Funeral Home | News, Sports, Jobs

— Lacie Petitto

Family members come in all shapes and sizes, some even have four legs. The love and bond between humans and their pets is powerful, and the grief accompanying a pet death is very real.

Because of that connection and that grief, Marty Mitchell, owner of Mitchell Family Funeral Home, opened an area dedicated to deceased pets last week. Complete with a Rainbow Bridge — a symbol of where pets go when they die — it is located on the east side of the business.

“It’s a sentimental place for people to come and remember pets that have been part of their lives — whether years in the past or currently,” Mitchell said. “As a society, we don’t recognize the intensity of a pet loss. This is a place people can come and make sure their pets are memorialized.”

Jason and Kim Stalzer see the new pet memorial area at Mitchell Family Funeral Home. They memorialized Gracie, the pet in the photo frame, on the Rainbow Bridge by writing her name on it. They also brought their new puppy, Gabby. Given the puppy’s personality, they believe a little bit of Gracie lives on in her.

There are markers for people to write the names of their pets in remembrance or they can pin photos. Mitchell said people can also leave flowers — whatever they want to do in memory. The area is available at all hours, and provides families with privacy. Mitchell spoke about seeing the grief of pet loss on social media, which is what inspired him to create it.

“There’s an intensity, and people are hurting a lot,” he said. “When we lose a pet, we’re expected to move on, without any closure. That’s why we have funerals for people — there needs to be that closure, that recognition of life, and there needs to be that for pets, as well.”

The funeral home is already very pet-friendly. Mitchell said pets, who love their families unconditionally, are frequently included in funerals at the business. Pictures or ashes of pets are one of the most common items placed in caskets.

“When we have the death of a person, we always encourage families to bring in their pets,” he said. “Pets do grieve. Sometimes they will sit at the casket for an hour or two and look. Sometimes we get them up there, and in a few minutes, they are ready to go. We encourage people to bring their pets, so they can see the person who passed away.”

Mitchell recalled an article he recently read about suicide. The number one reason people do not go through with it, he said, is their pet.

Gracie

“They do not want to think about their pet being rehomed, or doing something that would be traumatizing to the pet,” Mitchell said.

He posted the opening of the area on Facebook and said the response has been extremely positive. It has been shared numerous times with others who experienced pet loss. Mitchell believes the area will be a valuable resource for people to address their grief over the pet.

“We want people to know this is a safe environment,” he said. “If you want to spend five minutes sitting in your car, if you want to sit there for two hours in a rainstorm — whatever brings you comfort. The parking lot is always lit so if someone wants to come after hours, they have privacy.”

Remembering Gracie

Mitchell immediately thought of longtime dog owners Jason and Kim Stalzer as the memorial area was brought into realization.

Gabby

“The importance of recognizing little ones who have left us, they were the first ones I thought of,” Mitchell said.

The Stalzers started going through the grief process after suddenly losing their beloved 9-year-old Gracie Rose — a tiny Yorkshire terrier — on Aug. 27. Gracie would accompany them everywhere.

“She was part of our family, like our little daughter,” Jason said. “Some people may think it’s weird, but it isn’t for us. We would camp. We would bike ride. We would golf, go on walks, (go) boating. She did everything with us. She would greet people at the store.”

Since they do not have children, Gracie was the equivalent.

“We really get involved and attached,” Jason said. “She is us. It was us three and that was it.”

A sign describing the Rainbow Bridge is in a prominent place at the new pet memorial area next to Mitchell Family Funeral Home.

On that fateful day, the family was going on a bike ride, with Gracie riding in her basket. Neither Jason nor Kim fully know what happened, but Gracie fell and hit her head. Kim said people close by were quick to assist, which was helpful because they could not even think.

“It was awful,” Jason said. “We were like, ‘What just happened?’”

Jason said the couple was in a vehicle at the nearby intersection. They pulled over and told the Stalzers they would take Gracie to the vet. It was found Gracie’s brain was damaged from the fall, and she would never be normal.

Since Gracie was in Jason’s bike basket, he blames himself, saying he was her protector. Determined to be a tragic accident, the vet told Jason and Kim there was nothing they could have done differently. They made the difficult decision to put their dog down and have her remains cremated.

“I bawled and bawled and bawled,” Kim said.

The Stalzers said Gracie had a love for people, and many were touched by it. Their regular UPS delivery man was a Gracie fan. Kim said he would always bring a treat for her.

“He would want to know where she was, and we would let him know,” she said.

After Gracie’s death, Kim said he was hesitant to deliver the package holding her remains. Jason described Gracie’s box as beautiful. They even received a death certificate for her.

After recalling her death, Jason and Kim remembered details of life with Gracie. They would tell her when they were about to leave the house. Steps were right by their bed so Gracie could easily climb in.

“We had a bunch of pillows up there, and she would plop right in them pillows and take her little nap,” Jason said, laughing. “When we would come in, she was waiting at the end of the bed, staring at the door when we would open it up.”

The Stalzers believed they had another five years with Gracie. They said another dog would not replace Gracie, but would help fill the hole in their hearts. So they brought Gabrielle Sophia, also called Gabby, a 9-week-old Yorkshire terrier, into their home last week. Right away, Gabby was comfortable with her new family and spreading kisses.

“She’s got a lot of spunk in her, but that’s alright. That’s what we like,” Jason said.

“We think a little bit of Gracie’s in her,” Kim said.

Along with their memories of fun times, and Gabby’s personality, the Stalzers have utilized the pet memorial area to remember Gracie. Her name now graces the Rainbow Bridge by Mitchell Family Funeral Home.

Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.

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