GUANGZHOU－With paper flowers, a eulogy and music lingering in the air, Lyu Jun was officiating a small farewell ceremony at an industrial estate in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

It was a funeral for a pet dog.

Lyu came up with the idea of becoming a pet mortician four years ago when he was preparing to start a business.

"At that time, there was only one brick-and-mortar business that provided funeral services for pets in Shenzhen, but hundreds of pets die every day in this metropolis," he said.

According to Lyu, many pet owners used to bury the remains of their beloved animals near their homes, which had a harmful impact on the environment and created the risk of spreading disease.

He saw a gap in the market for someone able to properly handle the death of pets. "A pet funeral service provides treatment of the bodies that is harm free," Lyu said.

Keeping pets has become a popular way for many young Chinese to alleviate stress and loneliness, leading to the emergence of new occupations such as pet beauticians, trainers and nurses. Despite this, the job of pet undertaker remained a neglected profession, which was underlined when Lyu started out on his new career.

In the early days, Lyu drove about 150 kilometers a day for four months in search of a suitable location for his pet funeral parlor.

"Nine out of 10 lessors refused us after we told them we were in the funeral business," Lyu said. He finally found a suitable location in an industrial park in Shenzhen's Bao'an district, far from residential areas.

Lyu decorated his store carefully and furnished it in warm colors. It is neatly carpeted, and a message tree has been erected where pet owners can leave their farewell wishes to their pets.

The true value and significance of being a pet undertaker is providing emotional healing to the owners, Lyu said.

He pays attention to the small details, preparing funeral orations for the pets and suitable urns. He also films funerals for owners who cannot attend the ceremonies, and provides paper and pens for those who want to write down their blessings and hang the notes on the wishing tree.

Lyu said to be a pet undertaker you have to love what you do and not be faint of heart as dying pets are often smelly as a result of incontinence. Their hair also falls out and rigor mortis sets in after they die.

He takes good care of the remains of the pets and tidies up their appearance before cremation. "It is the greatest comfort to pet owners," Lyu said.

A female pet owner surnamed Zheng was introduced to Lyu's service by a friend. "I had happy times with my dog and I had planned a trip in October, but its death was so sudden," she said. "I'm feeling better holding a decent funeral for my dog."

Over the past four years, Lyu has bid farewell to more than 2,000 dogs, cats, hamsters, hedgehogs and other kinds of animals. He also does volunteer work in his spare time to promote responsible dog raising.

"The pet funeral service industry is still in its infancy, and I hope there will be a set of strict standards for practitioners and a better environment for the industry," Lyu said.

Xinhua