Council to launch pet cremation service
BBCRedditch Borough Council is to start offering pet cremations - in the hope it will raise money for front-line services.
The local authority is preparing to use part of Abbey Cemetery to offer cremations for dogs, cats and other small pets.
It said it could raise up to £7,000 per week at full capacity, which would help prop up its budget.
Adam Smith, bereavement service manager, said: "We want to deliver a service to the public, at the same standard as we do with the human side of things."
Bosses at the Labour-led authority said the majority of households in Worcestershire now owned a pet, and the numbers of people choosing to cremate were on the rise.
A report on the move said it would "establish a sustainable new income stream for the council", and there is "a clear opportunity" to raise funds for "wider council priorities".
Smith said: "It's a growing industry in the UK - it's something a lot of local authorities are looking at.
"You look back at Covid, more people started to get pets - it's an affectionate thing, to do something like this once a pet dies.
"All councils are trying to do things differently and explore new ideas, and this is just one example of that."
The idea has come from Barnsley Council, which launched the first council-led pet cremation service in Britain in 2016 with success.
There are currently three private pet cremation sites within a 45-minute drive of Redditch, fewer than most other parts of the country.
Redditch Borough Council has put aside £50,000 to launch the service from about August, with up to 35 pet cremations available per week.
Dog cremations will be priced between £175-£250, with smaller fees for cats and other pets.
The council said the UK's "pet funeral market" is expected to grow from £110m in 2024 to £195m by 2030.
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