Mumbai Gets its First Mobile Pet Cremation Service

Mumbai: In a piece of good news for pet parents in the city, a mobile pet crematorium van was launched at IC Colony, Borivli (west) on Sunday, 9 May. The van contains crematorium facilities where pet dogs, cats, and birds can be given a respectable farewell. It was launched by former corporator Abhishek Ghosalkar.

Presently, Mumbai’s only pet crematorium is located at SPCA, Parel. The singular crematorium meant grieving pet parents often struggled to find a way to give their pets a respectable sending off, which is hardly the news one wants to hear as a grieving pet parent.

The brand-new facilities will charge a fee of 3,000 INR for cremating pets, with strays being cremated free of charge. The charges levied are only in place to ensure proper maintenance and diesel levels in the van.

The van will also travel around Dahisar, Borivli, and Kandivli to perform pet cremations if housing societies allow them to. A NOC will be required for the same, stating that they have the necessary permission to perform a cremation on society grounds.

Cremations are said to take twenty minutes, and since they are performed using an electrical furnace, there is no harm to the environment either. “We have taken up this initiative through our NGO ‘Happy Buds Foundation’”, Said Ghosalkar.

Pet parents of the city noted that such a service was necessary as pets deserve a proper and respectful goodbye.  Nitin Divekar, who has a Siberian Husky, said, “Such a pet cremation facility will prove to be a boon to people. It will ensure that people’s wish to give their pets a decent farewell is fulfilled”.