[joe]

ok, i know this is a weird subject so dont think i'm a weirdo or anything, my wife already does

anyway, I have built a pet casket I plan on selling online

first a little history

I have always said Sampson nor Maggie would ever be "threw in the ground" so I decided to do some research, not that I need to, both are healthy but i want to be prepared when the time comes, anyway, I found there are very few sites on the internet selling pet caskets and urns, and the ones that are, are selling them for 500.00 for a cheapy up to 6000.00 for an all out one, so I decided I would do it myself in my new little woodshop I built behind my house

I am in a sales position for a company that supplies wood to kitchen cabinet makers so I got the wood really cheap, a few people I have talked to have said I should get 300.00 to 500.00 easy for it (after me and my wife finish the inside, padded inside, with bed, covered in white satin sheeting)

so I am wondering, what do you guys think from my pictures below, what would you realisticaly spend, where would you look? online, vets office, funeral home, etc.? i am looking to maybe turn this into a small side business and would very much appreciate any feedback...

the pictures below are not of the final one, i still have to add a lock and finish the interior

some specs of this one ( i would custom build to any size and have standard sizes available)

1. made from solid red oak lumber
2. pocket hole construction (very sturdy)
3. water proof glue used
4. inside dimensions 19" long X 12" wide X 9" deep
5. stained with a cinnimon color
5. sprayed with water and chemical "resistant" laquer for exterior protection
6. brass plate included for engraving of names and dates

heres a few pics

please be brutal and honest.

Thanks,
Joe

 

[mee]

GRRRRRRRRR

ur scarying me Joe !!!!!

i dont even want to think about DEATH !!!!!!

i would probably look for a pet casket at a vet since its like a "hospital" for animals..or maybe a funeral home too..but i would just research them online first but im not sure of purchasing them online..its just me, i dont like buying stuff online coz u dont get to see the actual product and u cant just tell by photos..it doesnt occur for everything, but maybe for a casket i might not want to buy one online..but then its just me, everybody else might want to tho..

i like the design tho...kinda looks like a casket for human kids...scarey...

about the price im still a student and dont make a living so i have no idea how much i could and would spend..sorry on that one..

but i really like the idea !!! are there any ppl in the pet casket buisness tho??? maybe u could be rich if u started it !!


:lol:

 

[k/c mom]

Joe, your woodworking ability is very impressive..... beautifully done!!

Here are my thoughts:

My personal opinion is that the market potential for a $300 and up casket is very narrow. I think it is a very small segment that would have the means and desire to purchase one. If you wanted to go in to this in a big way, I would suggest your doing some market research, focus groups, etc. first.

In most cases, I would think the death would be unexpected and they would need a casket right away. I'm not sure people would be willing to wait a few days for delivery, so I really don't think selling direct to consumers online is the way to go. Would they even think of going online to order this while still in the shock of the death?

Seems like it would be better for you to sell it wholesale to pet supply catalogs, so people would see it when they are looking at other things and would hopefully remember it. It doesn't solve the problem of timeliness and I agree with mee that a vet's office might be a better distribution method. That would give you a huge pool to sell to; however, you would have to sell wholesale at about $150 and they would retail it at $300. If even a small percentage of vets ordered a couple samples, you could sell quite a lot of them.

In this mobile society, would people be willing to bury a beloved pet and then leave it there when they move?

I like the idea of cremating so you can take the ashes wherever you go. I had Rosebud cremated and her ashes are on a shelf in a container supplied by the crematorium. It is made of plastic. I would have loved to have had a nicer container.... I would have gotten it from the vet if there had been one for me to choose from.

So, there you have it.... two cents worth!!

 

[mee]

Originally posted by Kallie/Catcher's Mom@Dec 3 2004, 09:02 PM
In this mobile society, would people be willing to bury a beloved pet and then leave it there when they move?


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but then arent there like pet cemeteries ??? how do they bury their pets there??

i dunno..i have no idea in this field..

but then, martket researching first would be a good idea too as K/C mommy suggested..i think it'll be worth it (my parents are martketing researchers and i worked for them too as a part time job) and u can get good feedback from them and good strategies

anyhoo..im wondering about other ppl's suggestion here too

 

[Quincymom]

I would think having caskets/urn/or small wood casket type urns or keepsake urn boxes offered by the vet would be your best bet. I had a terrible time trying to find anything when Oliver died (even though we knew it was coming), and I sure wish the vet would have had something available. And at the time, I would have paid almost any price. You do beautiful work, by the way.
Quincymom

 

[suzanne]

you could also build little dog houses in your woodshop

 

[MalteseJane]

Well lets see. I don't like cemeteries and I don't believe in spending a lot of money to be buried. I already told my family that I want to be cremated and that they do not spend money for my burial. The cheapest available will be fine for me. So.. I am not the one who is going to spend money on a casket for my dog. He will be cremated like me. But that's me. Nice wood work by the way.

On another note. If your dog is cremated, are you sure you are getting HIS ashes back ? I have a hard time to believe that they cremate one dog at a time.

 

[joe]

Originally posted by suzanne@Dec 3 2004, 09:27 PM
you could also build little dog houses in your woodshop 

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funny you mention that, if i do a new online adventure it would be pet related to custom wood pet furniture, including dog/cat houses, caskets, urns, raised wooden pet beds, leash holders, feeding platforms, etc

My personal opinion is that the market potential for a $300 and up casket is very narrow. I think it is a very small segment that would have the means and desire to purchase one.[/B]

i thought this too until i realized over 15 Billion per year is spent on pet supplies alone, 49 billion including food

If you wanted to go in to this in a big way[/B]

not looking for a BIG way, just a specialized segment, maybe

Would they even think of going online to order this while still in the shock of the death?[/B]

no, i wouldnt myself, but i would look for a way somehow, first i would do it to "stock" certain sizes, available for order or even next day air, I would cater to those who plan or have time to plan, also I would cater to vet offices who would be willing to stock at least one of each size, starting local of course

would people be willing to bury a beloved pet and then leave it there when they move?[/B]

this is why i would also offer urns, another thing to consider is the growing amount of pet cemetaries, we have one here and we are a small town, an hour and a hlaf from here is a very large one with 100's of pets buried where their owners can visit at any time

I would have loved to have had a nicer container[/B]

one of the reasons i look to offer a service very few do

So, there you have it.... two cents worth!![/B]

worth much more than that, thank you

and I sure wish the vet would have had something available. And at the time, I would have paid almost any price. You do beautiful work, by the way.[/B]

vets are a main focus (if i do this) i would trust my vet and look there for help if need be and I am like you, if i was not prepared I would pay what i had to, thanks for the compliments on the work, it was my first one and my next one (few) will be even better

 

[joe]

On another note. If your dog is cremated, are you sure you are getting HIS ashes back ?[/B]

i have wondered the same but I think a reputable vet would

 

[k/c mom]

Originally posted by MalteseJane@Dec 3 2004, 09:37 PM
On another note. If your dog is cremated, are you sure you are getting HIS ashes back ? I have a hard time to believe that they cremate one dog at a time.
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When Rosebud was euthanized the vet asked if I wanted her ashes and of course, I did. It took a few days and the ashes came in a plastic canister with her name and date of death on it. I can't remember the exact price but I believe it was maybe $40 or so more for the ashes and canister. Of course, I have no way to know if it is her ashes but I do trust my vet. There aren't too many guarantees in life, but in this case I just have to trust that it is Rosebud's ashes that are on my shelf.

 

[dr.jaimie]

On another note. If your dog is cremated, are you sure you are getting HIS ashes back ? I have a hard time to believe that they cremate one dog at a time.[/B]

usually it is the shelter that does the cremation and they return the ashes back to the vet unless the clinic has their own crematory. when i worked at a vet you paid extra for a private cremation which at the time was $100. i was pretty confident that they were doing them one at a time, either that or they were very good at estimating ashes for different size dogs. some places also offer a representative sample which is they put a bunch of dogs together and you get a portion of those ashes. my vet also gave paw prints which was really nice. the grief counsler at the vet school told us about this one man that made sure they kept the dog tag on hi dog when they cremated it, then he checked the askes to make sure the tag was there. if you feel confortable sifting through your dogs ashes..it is a good way to tell...but i couldnt if it were my dog.


joe,
you do wonderful work. when my moms dog passed we went to a hobby lobby and got a small box with a place for a picture to insert on top, and we put her ashes in that. i thought it was nice to be able to personalize it. just a little feature you might consider adding to some of your design....i could get a pic if you are interested. of course we only paid about $15 dollars for the box.

 

[vita]

Originally posted by Quincymom@Dec 3 2004, 09:14 PM
I would think having caskets/urn/or small wood casket type urns or keepsake urn boxes offered by the vet would be your best bet. I had a terrible time trying to find anything when Oliver died (even though we knew it was coming), and I sure wish the vet would have had something available. And at the time, I would have paid almost any price. You do beautiful work, by the way.
Quincymom
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I think this is a terrific point.. the place to market is directly to the vet...but there are real legal issues with that idea that yo (Joe) would need to investigate. If you happen to be living on acreage then I suppose you can bury your pet on your own property but in urban areas, like New York City...you don't want your pet returned to you in a casket...cause what ya gonna do with it then?

The wonderful vet that you used when your pet was alive really proves (or disproves) his wonderfulness at the end game. My dog died on the examining table..the vet had sent the tech out to get the injection to ethanize him...and in those intervening moments, Danny passed with just me and my vet in the room.... The vet's sensitivity was extraordinary! For the first 5 minutes the vet just hugged me. It was a busy fri afternoon...and I was told to spend as much time by myself in that exam room with Dannyy as I needed. I "needed" nearly half an hour..and took it...taking that room out of commision. When I finally came out of the room...all the vet said was... are you sure....you don't need to leave..take as much time as you want!

Now my choice was actually to "give" the "remains" to a vet school.
But if I had a different mind set...if the vet offered the option of a coffin...who knows..might have taken up on the offer.


Geez this is a "dark" thread....but shouldn't EVERY aspect of carng for a pet me taken up on this forum?

 

[vita]

Originally posted by LadyMontava@Dec 3 2004, 10:25 PM
QUOTE

On another note. If your dog is cremated, are you sure you are getting HIS ashes back ? I have a hard time to believe that they cremate one dog at a time.

usually it is the shelter that does the cremation and they return the ashes back to the vet unless the clinic has their own crematory. when i worked at a vet you paid extra for a private cremation which at the time was $100. i was pretty confident that they were doing them one at a time, either that or they were very good at estimating ashes for different size dogs. some places also offer a representative sample which is they put a bunch of dogs together and you get a portion of those ashes. my vet also gave paw prints which was really nice. the grief counsler at the vet school told us about this one man that made sure they kept the dog tag on hi dog when they cremated it, then he checked the askes to make sure the tag was there. if you feel confortable sifting through your dogs ashes..it is a good way to tell...but i couldnt if it were my dog.


joe,
you do wonderful work. when my moms dog passed we went to a hobby lobby and got a small box with a place for a picture to insert on top, and we put her ashes in that. i thought it was nice to be able to personalize it. just a little feature you might consider adding to some of your design....i could get a pic if you are interested. of course we only paid about $15 dollars for the box.
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[/B][/QUOTE]


Interestng point about sifting thru ashes for the tag....Gotta tell you that when Danny passed I was so devastated I was workin only on "instinct" and I removed the collar and tags... The next morning our whole family gathered and one of my son's who was in his 20's at the time actually asked me where the collar and the tag were... well they were hanging on the hook with Danny's leash......as they still are and will forever be....(6 years later). For me....that somehow meant more than ashes...and still does.

 

[Nicolle916]

My cousin's dog passed away this year and she had a service for him at a local funeral home that allows pet owners to use it one day a week. This might also be a place to have your caskets available. She lives in South Louisiana, and I'm not sure of any other funeral homes that offer this but she is very active is her local animal community and her dog had many human friends so she wanted to have a ceremony to say goodbye. I think it was very healing for her. I have never asked what they did with his remains but I'm sure she did something nice.

Just another place to check out if you decide to start your business.

 

[Caesar's Mommie]

Not that I wanna think about one of these lil' furbabies dieing,

but you did do a really good job on it.

 

[Toby's Mom]

 

[a2z]

My other dogs are in a pet cemetary and they furnished everything, casket, plot, ceremony, etc. You might consider selling to them.

 

[kodie]

This happened in Jan 2004... Our other dog, Scooter (hes a beagle), was diagnoised with a cancerous tumor high in his nose cavity. They could not operate to remove it..so we knew that it was only time before we were going to lose him. My dad prepared by building a casket for our dog... We didnt think to look online for one..haha.. Anyway... my dad made a good effort but it wasnt like yours Joe. He didnt paint it or anything.. prob cause he was so upset he had to even do this. Anyway... I wish that a place like Petsmart would have them in stock. I would sell them but I'm just not sure as to where or how to sell them. If Vets had them it would be convenant. It wasnt a sudden death with our dog... we knew it was going to happen so we have 2 months to prepare... but not everyone has time. If it suddenly happens... having a place near by is the best thing... so you can just go and buy it and then bury ur dog. (horrible thought!

) But I love how you made that Joe!! You should make beds!! They are charging for wooden beds over $300!!!! I saw some cute ones if your interested in seeing them! I would defently make houses for dogs too... and maybe other wooden accessories... like a wooden bowl holder (i've seen those online too). Keep up the ideas and good work Joe!!

 

[Brinkley & Neyland's Mom]

I love your work Joe, but I am somewhat like Nichole on this subject.

Our other pets have all passed suddenly. We have two cats and one dog buried next to the shed in our present yard. Another cat, we let the vet take care of. Two cats were pet strays that adopted us. One got caught in my husband's engine, that was Sunny. The other was Momma Kitty that was the mommy to our Little Bit. They both were living in our bushes with another kitten/sibling. I don't know or want to think about what happened to the other kitten, but Momma and Little Bit adopted us eventually. Momma got hit by a car one day...as I was in the process of contemplating bringing them both inside. I immediately brought Little-Bit in-SO glad that I did..she is an AWESOME cat! The third cat, Mickey...was my son's when he was small. He picked it out from a friend's house to help keep the rodents/moles out of our yard. He got some bacterial/infection disease that killed him so fast, we didn't even know he was sick. The vet kept him b/c my son was so small at the time, I didn't want to do the "bury" thing. Now, I wish I knew what they did with him at the time. When Sandi passed away, I asked...and they take them to the dump I was mortified!!!!!! So, we brought her home to bury her.
The dog that passed was a stray that was running around our neighborhood for several days. One day I walked out in the backyard and he was dead under one of our trees. He had a collar, but no identification. We went around the neighborhood asking, but no one knew anything about who he belonged to. We buried him in our yard, and the next week, there was an ad in the paper for that lost dog. His owners were an older couple that lived a few streets over. I hated calling and telling them what had happened. They came over and brought flowers...it was SO sad! Evidently, he got out when they opened the door and ran off. He was part Chihuahua and something else. Cute fella. They were SO sad.


Anyway-my point is-I knew we would not live here forever, so ours were all buried in towels/blankets. I guess maybe I would be interested in a casket if we had family property or something that I knew would be around for years to come.
I, myself, really don't want to be buried in a cemetery. I don't want people to mourn over me and my body to take up space on earth after I am gone. I would rather be cremated and scattered somewhere. I don't need the casket/earn to hang on to my fluffy friends-the memory of my pets will always live in my heart. That is where I want people to remember me too. I hate to think of spending all that money on a casket/stone/plot for nothing really. Seems really silly to me. But, most will probably think I am

I LOVE the idea of fancy beds/houses and other dog furniture. I like the coffee/table crate things-that you don't even realize is a house or crate...that is cool to me-so it doesn't look like you have dog stuff everywhere. The little wardrobe for clothes is cute too-your work is awesome. I am sure you could market more than just the caskets.

 

[Toby's Mom]