A CT business knows pet loss can mean a ‘worst’ day. They work ‘to give that dignity and respect.’

The staff know they are dealing with people on what could be one of the “worst” days of their life.

And Dave Olson founded Beloved Companions, LLC Pet Funeral & Cremation Services in 2012 to be there for pet owners who have lost their furry friends.

The first location was in Avon 10 years ago and a second and bigger location opened in early 2022 at 155 John Downey Drive.

Olson, 64, has been an entrepreneur for his entire life and is also licensed in real estate. Then 12  years ago, he recognized a need for a higher level of pet companion aftercare and pet companion funeral homes.

“We are a funeral home concept, and I don’t know of any other business like this. We are unique,” Olson said. “I’m interested in helping families in Connecticut. The demand and need for this are dramatic. We want to continue to open these up more in the state.”

“I can’t tell you why this is happening, but I think it may be a shortage of vets,” Olson said. “A lot of pets are dying at home and the owner has two options – cremation or burial – just like humans.”

The love of pets is no surprise for Americans, as in 2022 there were 62 million households with dogs and 32 million households with cats, according to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation. Further, the American Pet Products Association reports that we spent $147 billion on pets in 2023. In Connecticut, 49.9 percent of households have a pet, according to the World Population Review.

Pets of all kinds come into one of the two locations in Avon or New Britain to honor their pets at Beloved Companions. The service currently operates largely for Central Connecticut, the Farmington Valley and Litchfield County.

Olson said most pet owners choose cremation and burial is not common. He said on average 10-to-12 customers bring deceased pets in each day at each location.

The New Britain facility is set up like a facility many people would recognize as one to assist the grieving.

“The body comes in the front door,” Olson said. “We will put the pet stretcher, moving the body in. We set the body in one of our three chapel areas.”

Once the pet is placed in the chapel area, the family goes into an adjacent room to speak with someone from Beloved Companions and discuss the service and cost options. The pet owner will decide what kind of urn, clay or ink paw prints or fur clippings the choose.

After an agreement is signed and payments are made, the family returns to the chapel for a wake for the pet.

“The important thing for me is the experience people are receiving during those tough moments,” Olson said. “We want to them to come in and pay their respects and memorialize your pet instead of just dropping them off at a crematorium. We take it one step further because it’s the service we provide.”

The higher end package ranges from $200 for $450 for cremation. The lower end package is $130-$350. Both are based on weight of the pet. There are fees for other additions.

There is an onsite crematorium where pets are placed individually. Beloved Companions also offers free grief counseling at both locations at various times.

Olson also started another company five months ago he called Pawz at Peace. It’s a home euthanasia mobile veterinarian van and the pet will be transported from the home to Beloved Companions for cremation from anywhere in the state. Those services range from $1,140 to $1,440 for basic packages.

“Me, or one of my staff, will be there and everything is transparent,” Dave Olson said. “Once the pet passes, we are giving the pet the highest level or respect. We are hiring the highest quality of people.”

Olson said even if a veterinarian does not suggest Beloved Companions, customers can plan directly with the company to have a pet companion removed, transported, and returned home.

“We operate as kind of a safety net and try to ease their transition when they are at a time of loss. I’ve been doing this for a year and a half now,” said Justin Olson, funeral administrator at the New Britain location. “People are extremely thankful for what we do. They come to us in a state or emergency, and we will do what we can.”

Peaches Miller manages the Avon facility – which is located at 369 West Main St., Suite 4. She’s been with Beloved Companions for two and a half years.

“I think the loss of the pet is one of the worse days in a pet owners life,” Miller said. “No matter how old or how young – sudden or expected. It’s awful for them. They are raw and grieving.”

“I know every pet is handled with the utmost respect and dignity,” she said. “Pets are so unifying. We have folks in that can’t speak English, different races, religions, income levels and different walks of life. The one thing everyone has in common is they love animals and want the best for them. That’s what we provide.”

Miller grew up in New Hartford and has lived in Avon for the last three decades. She’s the voice on the phone and the face people see at Beloved Companions in Avon.

“We have to get it right and we have to get it right each time,” Miller said. “There’s no do-over. No matter what is going on for that day. I have had so many people who said they feel better just having someone to talk to.”

Miller said many of the pets they see are dogs and cats, but she has also serviced frogs, chickens, birds, sheep, goats, mini donkeys, mice, rats and snakes.

Dave Olson said he feels the relationship between pets and humans has only gotten stronger over the years.

“We feel the need to give that dignity and respect,” Dave Olson said. “We understand how difficult these times could be. We give the highest level of care and people appreciate it.”

Olson added that clients have also come from surrounding states from New York, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Beverly LaPlume, the former Animal Control Officer for Avon and Canton, said she recommends Beloved Companions.

“I think they are fantastic,” LaPlume said. “I’ve used them personally for three of my dogs that have passed away. They treated each one of them with the utmost compassion. It was comforting to me that the bodies were taken care of respectfully.”

“Beloved companions give such great dignity to the deceased animals,” she said. “The animal is treated like a family member. This is a dignified passing for your pet.”